Trust in the truth

I usually leave it pretty open as to what I am going to write about in my weekly blog.  I prefer to be current, go with the flow and be open.

As I tossed around what I could write … it became clear that the global focus of this week is one of trust.  Between what is happening down south and who to believe, and the recent election in the UK – it seems to me that much of our challenge today is building trust, keeping it and not betraying it.

Who do you believe is working in the best interests of your country? Who do you think is putting the everyday person first, or does everyone have their own agenda, one that does not include you? How do you know what is true or what is all smoke and mirrors?

As a small business owner, there are some crucial lessons to be learned from the global political arena.  First as you work with your clients and potential customers, it is vital that you build their trust.

Because as is often said, people do business with people that they like and trust. So how do you build that trust?

1.              You are authentic in your dealings with people.

2.              You listen.

3.              You provide what people say they need, not necessarily what you want to provide. In other words, you focus on their agenda, not your own.

4.              You deliver what you say you will deliver. On time. On price.

5.              You are honest about what you can and can’t do.

6.              You care and show your client that you are interested in them as people, not as part of your money train.

Bottom line – you drop your agenda because inevitably it does become a win-win for all.

Another lesson - do not underestimate the power of young people.  As we saw in the UK, when you listen, respect and involve millennials, they will support you.  Ignore them at your own peril.  They are our future. Pay attention.

We live in complicated times. Times when it becomes harder to determine what is truth and what is not.  What we can do as individuals and as business owners is be true to ourselves.  

Because when we do that, we can sleep at night, knowing we have done our best, we’ve stuck to our values and believe that at the end of day, people will trust in what we say and do.

Practicing empathy for millennials

Few managers have been taught how to lead, explains Simon Sinek in a recent presentation on leadership.   Much depends, he observed on the corporate culture.

He went on to describe a scenario where a barista held down two jobs.  In one, where he demonstrated great customer service, the managers took a personal interest in him as an individual, checking in that all was OK, helping him out on personal challenges.

He rewarded them with his loyalty and would go that extra mile for them.  However, in his second job, the focus of the manager was to find fault and attempt to “catch” him out, as a result, his attitude was very different.

The difference was empathy which he went on to say, is what we need to show to millennials.  He then went on to explain why.

1.             Parenting

Millennials have grown up being told they can have and be anything they want.  Raised by helicopter parents who have gone to bat for them, it’s a shock when they reach the workplace and that doesn’t work any more.

2.             Technology

With the constant use of social media and technology, people, especially young people, have become addicted to their devices and as a result are not learning the necessary social skills to develop deep relationships.   Everything is measured by how many likes you get, how many friends you have on Facebook.  These false measurements of success, have sadly led to an increase in depression and even suicide.

3.             Impatient

Sinek observes that it’s not so much that this generation feels entitled, it’s more he says that they are impatient.   Success isn’t often instant as we know, but this is a generation used to instant gratification which they apply to life, relationships and work.  They have not realized that it is a journey and so fear that they are not making an impact, something that is all important to them.

4.             Environment

When working for large corporations they find that the organizations don’t care about them as human beings.   Mass layoffs occur without much thought to the fact that the companies are taking away people’s livelihoods to make and save money.

All food for thought.  Especially for those in leadership or management positions.

Personally I like working with young people.  They are so bright, and when you involve and invite them to be part of a project, bring great ideas.   Showing empathy, fostering community goes a long way to creating a positive work environment for everyone.

Doing well by doing good

Growing up my father always talked about having a sense of balance.  What he meant was that when you were fortunate, you needed to balance out the scales and help someone else get ahead.

He was a real role model for me, always supporting the underdog.  He’d grown up on the “wrong side of the tracks” and never forgot his humble beginnings. It wasn’t until he died that I learned just how generous he’d been. You could say he was a dragon before we had the den, lending money to people starting a business. 

With giving back in my DNA, it should come as no surprise that it is also an integral part of Company of Women.  Over the years we have supported numerous charities – Opportunity International, Girls Inc, Because I am a Girl, World Teacher Aid to name but a few, as well as scholarships for women entering the skilled trades.  The common thread is that they all focused on women and girls.

And that makes senses.  When you are picking the organization or cause you want to support, there should be a strong tie or link to what your business does.   For example, if you are in real estate, perhaps Habitat for Humanity fits the bill.  Or if you are in the beauty industry, Look Good, Feel Good, a program for cancer patients might be a good fit.

We once had a speaker, who armed with copies of SNAP, got the women in the audience to check through the paper to see if there were local causes or events that they could get behind.  That isn’t a bad place to start, but make sure you do your homework on the cause selected, because not all charities are created equal.

As well as the business fit, there may well be a cause that tugs at your heartstrings. Perhaps a disease has inflicted someone in your family and you want to help raise funds for a cure, research or support for families.

You might want to get your feet wet and just dip a toe into the cause-related pool. See how that goes.  Working on a smaller project, gives you a chance to see how well the organization functions.  How much of the funds raised go towards the actual recipients, and how much is swallowed up in administration?  Who is on their board?  How many staff is involved?  These are good questions to ask.

This year we have chosen to get behind the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and particularly their program aimed at young girls and how they feel about themselves. I am excited about this partnership, and particularly interested in their As We Are Project 

Still need convincing that giving back is a sound business decision?  Putting sentiment aside, it earns you brownie points with customers and staff alike.  People, especially millennials, like to work for a company that takes corporate responsibility seriously.  It gains you credibility with your client base and bottom line; it fees good to be doing good.