I don’t know if the word has been coined yet – so I may get the kudos of being the first to use it!
Without going into the political issues in this week’s media led furore, the behaviour of our Business Secretary certainly has some lessons for business.
Here are my three top lessons:
Be careful what you say – even in private
What you say in unguarded moments not only betrays your real thoughts but there is always a danger that it will get out into the public arena.
So what do you say in private about your:
- Customers
- Colleagues
- Team
- Suppliers
- …?
Would you be concerned if they heard?
What does this say about what you think?
Should you be saying such things even in private?
How would they react if they knew what you thought?
Be true to your values
Your values will always come out – so be true to them. It is very stressful to act in ways which are not congruent with ones beliefs.
I’ve had personal experience of working in organisations where their values didn’t match mine; it affected my mood and performance. I felt so much better when I got out.
Be aware of your prejudices
We all have prejudices – its human nature. The critical issue is whether you are aware of them and try not to be driven by them. This has strong parallels to the first step in Emotional Intelligence – self-awareness.
So
What do you think?
Have you got any lessons from this?
Have you any useful observations / lessons from others in the public eye?
Pivotal Thinking 