Knowing if your business is whole is vital whether you are a solopreneur, a CEO of a major corporation, a volunteer leading others or an employee. Whole businesses are a sign of a powerful presence. Historically, businesses could thrive in a unilateral and often limited business model, focusing on results and results alone. The health, welfare and livelihood of the people and the company were not typically taken into account. What mattered most was the bottom line profit. People worked hard and the family suffered. It was seen as the noble sacrifice. We as a culture have outgrown this old model that elevated a form of inner and outer slavery to the status of sainthood until the consequences have become evident within the society. There are 7 habits of a whole business.
There are tangible ways to determine if your business or the business you work within is whole. Working for a whole business will not deplete you and ask you to sacrifice yourself in ways that are harmful to you and your family. A Whole Business is a business that takes into consideration the welfare, satisfaction and development of all people engaged in the business.
There are 7 habits of a whole business.
1. The business is concerned with more than profits. The business is concerned with living and acting from higher standards. This business has a culture of service and the leaders distinguish themselves by knowing their colleagues, customers, vendors and employees.
2. The business has meaning. This is an ever increasing shift toward a global sense of connectedness and impact. Rather than a fragmented life, the business model puts forth a more seamless and cohesive lifestyle that incorporates business without ignoring other life areas. Individuals are more openly searching for meaning. A business that understands and supports this shift will be more whole and will thrive.
3. The business exists knowing that everyone is connected. This means that the business leaders and employees are paying attention to the impact of the work on all sentient beings, known and unknown to the individuals. These businesses can see beyond myopic ideas and selfish gains and focus more fully of the ever expanding impact of thoughts, words and actions.
4. The business develops its own “soul” and knows that no one is involved by accident. When the business leaders live and teach looking for the meaning and value in all relationships and situations, this deeper way of leading and working emerges. Everyone knows that they are working on purpose with a larger purpose. This expansive way of operating makes for a diverse, powerful and whole business.
5. The business honors that all involved are sharing the same journey. Remembering that all people involved are sharing in the journey, diversity is honored and in the ultimate sense all people engaged in the business are equals. Each person has a role and that role must be respected and honored in order to maintain wholeness, yet the role does not make anyone better than another.
6. The business is neutral. This means that judgment and separation are not part of the vision and values of the business. The business has a yes/and mentality rather than an either/or consciousness. Seeking inclusion and then discerning what will serve the greater is how decisions are made without assigning value or judgment to the ideas that were not used, knowing they may have unique value at another time.
7. The business stays in flow, unattached to outcome. By focusing on remaining in the flow of serving the greater good, often the results are not what the leaders originally imagined. It is always better and more profound. By remaining open and aware, the leaders and employees have the inherent permission to follow their intuition as well as their intellectual understanding to solve challenges and create solutions that the linear mind alone cannot.
By knowing that everyone is accountable for their choices yet are not completely in control of outcome helps keep the focus on the principles of the business. Focus on what you can impact and do the best you can and be free of attachment to the outcome. This freedom from the illusion supports your accountability to what is in your realm of influence and frees you from the perceived responsibility for the overall outcome.
The above habits apply to business and personal living as well. Your individual life is your soul’s business. The outdated belief that you are separate from your work continues to hold many people hostage to their fears, doubt and worry. Bring all of you into all your life areas and watch your personal transformation unfold right before your eyes!
We are in this together. All people are sharing the same human journey. All of us are doing our best to make it in this world. Some days we are awesome and some days we would like to re-write. This is true for every person alive. Believing you to be separate from other beings is like rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic; you can be busy thinking you are exempt from the greater yet you are still part of the greater whole. When we wake up and begin to take personal responsibility for our life and our business, we become more fulfilled, peaceful and our focus is sharp.
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