It is often said that sound business decisions are based on practicality, commercial viability, sound and rational reasoning, profitability, and concrete business plans. While this may indeed be true, the following will add a few additions.
For a moment, think of yourself as an invisible business observer that has the ability to overlook any small, medium, or large enterprise. You can see, hear, and feel everything, from the workers, to the chief’s perspective.
Now ask yourself, are business decisions being made purely and practically on business alone, or does personal preferences, judgment, and agendas come into play? Is there ever a time whereby you can honestly say that there was no personal opinion, judgment, no physical, emotional, or mental input?
The reality is, that there has never been a time simply because personal motivations are what influence every business decision, that has ever, and will ever be made. While there are professional planners, and strategic group decision makers, each one has their own individual set of motivators. This is not to suggest there are wrongdoings, it is a simple reality of life.
For example: Common knowledge suggested that the late Steve Jobs of Apple Computers carried out emotionally expressive business decisions, whilst his competitor Bill Gates of Microsoft was said to demonstrate more composure. Therefore, most assumed Bill to be the better businessman. Yet was Bill really making only professional decisions based purely on business alone?
Most likely not.
At best, Bill Gates projected and delivered himself differently, perhaps retaining his real motivators to himself. Yet, at his core; business is extremely personal.
So lets uncover a trick - “I am motivated by business”, really means, “he or she is motivated by their purpose in life, and that purpose will be expressed through business”.
It might look drawn out, yet skim the surface and the likelihood is that Bill Gates was looking to express his inner feelings through a purpose that would bring more meaning, than business alone.
For example, this expression starts off, birthing itself 100% subjective. In other words, there is an idea. It is a personal Bill Gates vision. Though, to get that business vision off the ground, he must get others must buy into it. For a time, Bill must put his personal ambitions to the side, and tap into the subjective motivators of others. However, with application, focus and growth, Microsoft becomes big because collectively, every employee sub-unconsciously buys into Bill’s ideas. They have done so because he has skillfully extracted their subjective motivators, while merging them with his own.
Now, remember Bill’s motivators were subjective. That is, in the initial stages, it is most unlikely he would have shared his ultimate goal with anyone other than himself. Had he of done so, Microsoft may not have been. So he motivates others into his vision, by tapping into and exploiting their motivators - only then, can he develop the ability to merge them with his own. That is he offers financial, material, and other incentives based on his staffs subjective visions. Yet, that is not all. It is highly likely that Bill Gates; the late Steve Jobs, and other great business leaders initiate, develop, and grow their businesses not just by financial incentives, or promises of a great career. They develop a knack to identify, understand, harness, and work with key individuals' personal motivators. They do this because they know only too well, that impersonal businesses, corporations, and organizations lack the motivation to become truly successful, and thus they can fall apart quickly.
Please allow a quick example.
A large extremely successful corporate company decides to enter rapidly expanding China. There is a meeting with the board of directors, one of which was proud of his past accomplishments. When future projections and positioning of the company were put to him, this was his reply. “I am not here for the company, in fact; I dislike everything about this joint venture, and I am passionless about [8]******. Nor am I here for the good of China, I am here for myself. I am here for the future floatation and what it will bring me.”
The above is a true story, one of a sad reminder how personal business can be. Yet, please do not let this dismay you, for even the most ardent employee (like the gentleman above) can be transformed into a self-motivator, that not only works for the good of himself, but also operates for the good of the company.
When de-motivation strikes, there is only ever two choices - Either is consumes you, or you consume it.