What About Me, It Isn’t Fair?

Having been a business mentor for about twenty years, I have had the privilege to have sat in thousands of businesses meetings where we talk operations, plot strategy and solve problems. I find it fascinating that we are always in the room to get the best for the business, but the people in the meetings are almost always coming at the issue from the perspective of their role in the business.

That’s where I come in. I see my role as representing the business need. I see the business as a living, breathing entity that requires strong advocacy and representation. This view and level of independence provides a unique perspective and mandates very direct conversations. The business doesn’t blame, it's not personal, and it needs what it needs. Let’s have the discussion!

Sometimes I find myself humming the very catchy earworm of a song, “What About Me, It Isn’t Fair,” by Moving Pictures off the 1981 album “Days of Innocence”. If you’re a bit younger, you might know the Shannon Noll 2001 cover… but I digress. As an entrepreneur, the point is that you have to give your business a voice and respect what it is telling you. Too often, we ignore warning signs that are clear as day in hindsight.

A fresh alternative perspective from the business angle can not only provide clues to where our business is at but also unearth capabilities and competitive advantage, which could be lying under the surface waiting to be leveraged.

One of the greatest business mentors you may never have heard of is Bill Campbell. Bill was an ex-College Football Coach, instrumental in mentoring and coaching some of Americas biggest and most successful companies, such as Apple, Google and Intuit. In his book “Trillion Dollar Coach, Eric Schmidt et al. provides example after example where Campbell was able to guide the conversation through a business need lens and, in doing so, soar above individual agendas, driving superior business outcomes to extraordinary effect.

Next time you’re in a business meeting… what lens will you be looking through?
If you’re a leader of an entrepreneurial family business looking to grow, let’s talk!