Businesses Are People
It’s amazing the similarities you find, when you start comparing businesses to people. When you really think about it, it’s not surprising, since they are both “controlled” by people, it makes sense that they would naturally take on the same traits, characteristics and habits of the people leading and working in them.
Literally...
They Are Run By People!
Figuratively...
They Develop Like People!
And Yes...
They Are Legally People!
Businesses are not just made up of machines, buildings, and technology. At their core, businesses are made up of people. It is the people who create, manage, and operate the business. Therefore, it’s not surprising that businesses exhibit similar traits and characteristics as the people who are running them.
Just like people, businesses have unique personalities, cultures, and values. These traits are often influenced by the people leading and working in the organization. The culture of a business is shaped by the collective beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of the people who work there. In many cases, the personality of a business is an extension of the personality of its founder or CEO.
Just like people, businesses can be adaptable or rigid, innovative or stagnant, proactive or reactive. The actions of the people running the business influence the direction and success of the organization. Therefore, it’s important for businesses to have strong leaders who exhibit positive traits and habits. Leaders who are empathetic, ethical, and innovative can create a positive culture that fosters growth and success.
Additionally, businesses can also exhibit negative traits and habits when the people leading them are not aligned with the company’s values and goals. For example, a business that prioritizes short-term profits over long-term sustainability may exhibit a culture of greed and exploitation.
Ultimately, businesses are made up of people and the success of the organization depends on the quality of the people who are leading and working in it. By creating a positive culture, promoting ethical behavior, and encouraging innovation, businesses can achieve long-term success and growth.
Businesses Deserve Better Treatment
When you start to look at businesses like people, you can start to see how treating them like people, would look a lot different than it does today! I liken todays business “treatment” to the days of the traveling salesperson, selling their secret elixir to cure all your “ails”; or even the good old witchdoctors, using their “magic” to treat all kinds of problems. The medical industry has definitely evolved since then; however, the business side is still stuck with siloed, “pseudo-science” fragmented solutions, with no focus on the overall health and performance of the business.
In some ways, I actually think it has gotten worse in the last 10 years, as more and more traveling salespeople and witchdoctors are entering the market with their latest and greatest cures. Businesses are changing improvement programs like they are changing diets, scrambling to figure out if Lean, Agile, Six Sigma, TOC, or some combination of those is the answer to all their problems. As an expert in the previously mentioned, they are not the answer — they are pieces of an overall solution, treating them like people. Ironically, they are mostly adjectives that describe something people aspire to be lean, agile, no problems, etc.; however, they don’t come close to describing the type of person that people aspire to be — like strong, smart, healthy and happy!
Treating Businesses Like People
Imagine your business being treated the same way people are treated — mentally, physically and socially! Imagine how different your “balanced scorecard” would look when you are finally measuring the overall health and fitness of your business, and more importantly, imagine the difference in performance when your business is truly healthy, happy and fit. I’ve been imagining it for awhile, which is why I have an entire category on this blog to defining and standardizing the Anatomy of a Business.
Like Dr. Henry Gray, who helped transform the medical industry, back in 1860 when he published Gray’s Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical — the first consolidation and “mapping” of the entire human body and its functions. The textbook has been updated continually since then and becomes an example and a foundation for the similar treatment of businesses, since they are people!
In honor of Dr. Gray’s insight and the historic accomplishments of his work, I am working with professionals across the globe and across disciplines to create the business version of it, Business Anatomy: Descriptive, Prescriptive and Surgical, so we can start treating businesses like people!
I know its a huge undertaking, but someones got to start! 😉
