Posts Tagged ‘Team’
Team Business was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
I recently heard business referred to as a team sport. I had never considered business a sport. Until now. I realise I am taking liberties with this particular interpretation, but just go with me on this!
As I took a closer look at this message, I wondered what I would find. Yes I call my people my “team”, I guess I could even be their “team leader”, but is my business a sport? Yes and no, just to make it easy and clear. My business team could in fact be participating in a sport - we compete against others, we sometimes end up a bit battered after a long match day and we do not take losing well. And too many losses in a row result in someone getting the axe. So at this point we agree, business is a sport. Read the rest of this entry »
Business Dreams was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
All business owners and CEO’s are in the business of dreams. We bring our ideas to life, it’s what we do. We implement and execute our “strategic plan” (I believe this is the fancy title). Basically we put our money where our mouth is and risk everything for it. All dreams have a price - right or wrong, good choice or bad, success or failure. But a business or business owner without a dream is empty, even if it and you still functions.
Generally speaking, small business owners are emotionally attached to their business. We build it up, sometimes from less than nothing; we nurture it, develop it and sometimes strangle it. Like any baby or child that inevitably grows up, sometimes we don’t know when to let go or we let go too much.
It’s a confusing situation, complicated by finance and entangled by feelings that are fuelled by fear. Fear of the “what if” - what if you take a step back and the business suffers, what if you run out of ideas, what if you find a challenge that can’t be defeated? What if you actually stop mothering your business and it flourishes, does that mean you were holding it back?
People have many faces but that’s not to say that they are liars, some just present different parts of themselves at work or in negotiations or even in the day or night. Some people find it hard to blend their personal views with their business agenda and hospitality is a perfect example of that, in fact retail or sales in general as well. Take for example waiters (non gender specific); their job is to be hospitable, welcoming. They are in charge of your customer experience. When they look at you, do they make eye contact? Does their face reflect their feelings or their words? Are they sincere, going through the motions or openly bored and can’t wait to finish their shift?
There are all kinds of rage these days - Road Rage, Sport Rage, Tiger Woods Rage, Waitress Rage, Customer Rage, Passenger Rage and millions more.
But what about Business Rage? The good, bad and ugly feelings that rumble inside us on a daily basis. The feelings that we suppress or allow out. Feelings that can build or destroy our business.