A SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By: Liz Beerman

What happens in that moment in time when something unexpected crashes into your life?  How often does a day go by that we don’t either find ourselves picking up the pieces from our own crash or helping someone we work with, a friend, or family member with their predicament?  Even in that unique day where life is quiet and all seems well, all we have to do is turn on our smartphone, iPad, car radio, or television, to hear in detail about devastating events nation and worldwide.

BUT while it may sound dreary, in actuality there are three successful steps you can take, right now, to change your perspective and ultimately your outcomes.

One:  Realign your perspective

Crashes, by their nature; break things, leave messes, hurt, and change projected plans. Pick up the pieces and before you indiscriminately throw them away, take a moment or two in time to reconsider what else they might be, or be used for. Life isn’t all Humpty Dumpty where after falling off the wall none of the kings horses or men could put him back together again. Life is choices based on perspective. Loss of a customer, new competition, employee churn or manufacturing woes are thinly veiled opportunities to realign your perspective.  You know it – but do you do it?

Two:  Stay in the moment

Crashes push us to our limits—or so we think. Why are we so quick to forget all those fables and stories from our childhood. . . or our Internet pals, that remind us the race goes to the slow and steady, or the story of the tortoise and the hare, or Winston Churchill’s admonition to “never give in,” or the attributed ancient Chinese quote that reminds us to “get up one more time than we fall.” Usually we either fall backwards into the pit of regrets from the past or jettison ourselves into the uncertainty of the future.  Plant your feet, take a deep breath, stand as tall as you can, count to ten while clearing your mind and then make every single one of your senses do their job. What do you see—really see? What are you hearing with total focus, right now?  Now turn both of them off and smell the air like an animal on the hunt.  Use taste and feeling in the same way. Wring this moment out and take everything from it that you were meant to have.

Three: Be accountable to one and only one person — YOU

Crashes tend to make us push the panic button. With panic comes frenetic unfocused energy complete with well intentioned but not well thought out promises to ourselves and others. The visual of people in the freezing waters when the Titanic went down illustrates how brutal the survival instinct can be. As you are picking yourself up from the latest crash, all the while attempting to stay in the present moment and realign your perspective, remember YOU are the most important element in your own success. “Put your own oxygen mask on first.”

As time moves on and you gain strength and perspective with all the internal cravings to be back on your feet if not all the way to the top of the heap, be painfully aware of the promises you make to yourself. And then without fail, or excuses, be true to your word—and yourself first and always.

Makes one wonder what Humpty Dumpty might have been if the rhyme had not been so quick to project a single, bleak outcome, and publish his demise. Now that you know, the world is looking forward to seeing what you do with the pieces after YOUR crash.

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Liz Beerman is the author of the recently published book BEACHED available in digital and paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She has crafted a well thought out, beautifully written parable sharing the lives and challenges of six beached characters. You are invited to gain from their experiences as you face your own life challenges.

You can learn more about Liz at http://www.beachedstory.com/

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It happens out of nowhere. Like a shooting star screaming across the night sky. First it’s there and then it’s gone. Intuition can be slippery. You know it works, you know it’s close and you still cannot predict when it will happen. Then it strikes and you’re only concern is remembering, recording, capturing that momentary flash of creative inspiration. It is the adrenaline of that creative moment, the moment that says “Aha….now I KNOW.”

It can also be that simple thought that you let slip by without a second thought. The thought that days or sometimes even moments later you think, “I should have listened to myself.” It is that voice that says “I told you so.” And it is the nagging feeling that had you made a different decision you would have had a different result.

Recently I had one of those gut wrenching moments when I thought I should have listened to myself. I was sitting at my computer and had one of those flash in the mind thoughts. It said, “my wife’s external hard drive is a few months overdue for a major backup. I should get to that sometime soon.” Surely enough within a couple of days my wife reports to me that her hard drive just isn’t working. I’m sure you know what happens next.

As a kid I clearly remember how the popular culture and media portrayed what we knew as “Women’s Intuition.” It was many years later that I discovered you could develop your intuitive skills and have it become your nature and even an asset. Allowing yourself to listen to your intuition can be an incredible boost to your business. Training your intuition can be even more valuable to your long term success. Developing a culture where listening to one’s intuition is as important as their ability to produce things is part of the evolution of spirituality in the workplace.

Allowing everyone in the organization the freedom of listening to their inner wisdom and guidance leads to a self empowered workforce, a workforce that is happy to come to work, that feels they are making a difference regardless of their job assignments. Keep in mind we are not suggesting you start sitting around waiting to catch a bolt of creative lightening, or wallowing in the thoughts of “Oh…. if we had only”. We believe in bringing our focus and attention to the moment itself. By nurturing a culture of intuition we know how to catch the lightening once we see it and how to hear the still small voice within when it begins to whisper about backing up our data or taking another look at the numbers after the new bookkeeper finishes their work.

Once you invest some time and effort into the development of your professional intuition and encouraging your employees to do the same you will find you rarely are concerned about the past or worried about the future. You come to a place of trust and confidence in your company’s ability to respond to the market, ask the right question, listen for guidance and wisdom and most importantly make great decisions.

Getting to that place is obviously not an overnight type of change. Nurturing this type of culture takes time and consistent effort. Getting to the end result takes cooperation and community support. There are no shortcuts, but there are some best practices and here at The Inspired Business Center we know exactly how to serve a group of committed individuals in creating just such a culture. We would be happy to discuss some quick start ideas or more in depth solutions you can implement within your business right away. Simply give us a call and we’ll schedule complimentary 30 minute session to discuss what’s possible.

Whatever you do when intuition strikes, make sure you don’t let it pass you by.

Until next time,

Robert

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Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems. You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/2446200391/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Perhaps my perspective is different than the general population. Perhaps I look at business, spirituality and profitability differently than the average CEO. Perhaps I am simply annoyed by people pushing their products, ideas, and beliefs down my throat. Perhaps you are like me and would rather do business with conscious companies and individuals that embrace the concept of living in a world that works for everyone.

Please understand here at The Inspired Business Center we do not condemn the companies that use outdated tactics and marketing strategies we simply choose to ignore their message and seek out more socially conscious and active organizations to financially support and partner with.

Not long ago during a planning meeting we began to consider why we do what we do. We started to compile a list and found that we do what we do simply because we love people. Now we also love business; we love the environment; we love collaborating; we love making money; we love serving an emerging paradigm of Spiritual Business practice; we love quite a few things and still the common denominator is that we love people. As we looked at the list we realized there were many more reason why we do what we do than there are things we do or even ways we do what we do.

All this introspection led to a chance encounter with a video from 2009. We had nothing to do with this video, and do we ever wish we had because is shares a simple perspective of how to transform a business from one that pushes itself down the throats of the consumers into one that is poised to truly change the way business is done.

The video was recorded at TedX Pugent Sound in September 2009. In this video Simon Sinek shares a perspective of How Great Leaders Inspire Action. I found the basic premise to be simple and yet incredibly inspiring. Simon asks us to always start from WHY. When you think about it WHY is an incredibly powerful or annoying question. Many teachers will tell you that WHY is an invalid question. Others will remind us that the answer to why is either I don’t know or because. In the business world why can be a powerful question if you have an answer. If you do not have an answer to this simple question now is the time to start considering your why.

Currently we are preparing a new project with our friend and collaborator Tom Zender. Tom’s a great guy and a truly inspirational leader. On a recently planning call we shared the why behind the idea for this project. His enthusiasm and partnership in this program was proof enough that our why would touch more than a few people. By trusting that the reason why we are building this is bigger than what we are building or how it will benefit you the project’s success is ensured.

The truth of business today is that more and more people care about why you do what you do rather than what you’re doing. It is all to common for a company to make a mistake, spill oil, fail to consider the safety of the consumer or just could care less about why you bought their product. These companies want you to believe that what they make is more important than why they make it. They want you to buy their products or services and would rather you do not know why they do what they do.

Spiritually conscious organizations however have flipped that coin and are now asking you to consider their values and beliefs, their why when evaluating who to support with your financial resources. We are asking you the same question. Do you know why your business coach does what they do? Do you know why your accountant or social media consultant is sharing their wisdom with you? Is it all about the bottom line, or is it about creating spiritual transactions?  You can rest assured that here at The Inspired Business Center we do what we do because we love people and we love seeing people accomplish their goals, desires, dreams and visions. We love supporting people as they step up to the entrepreneurial plate, or are seeking ways of creating spiritual environments in their workplace. We love people that are here to lead others through their wisdom and experience. Mostly we love people that want to learn, that want to be part of creating a worlds that truly works for everyone.

We love people so much that we would do what we do even if we didn’t make any money at it. Thankfully we do make money at what we do because people want to do business with a company that understands why they are here. How about you? Do you know your why? Would you like to discover your why? If you answered yes to any of these questions you’re the type of client we love. If you would like to learn more about your why give us a call and we’ll get to know each other and we promise not to sell you on what we do, but rather help you understand why we do what we do.

Until Next Time,

Robert

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Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems. You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmgimages/4881844153/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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The past month we spoke quite a bit about collaboration and the associated benefits for the participating businesses. This week we wrap up our series on collaboration by looking forward to what happens after you establish a collaborative relationship with another person or organization.

As I discussed in our last blog post collaborations are more of a long term commitment to keep the other party’s best interests in mind. This does not mean we make all our business decisions based on how our collaborators will respond, participate or benefit from our actions. Rather it is keeping our minds open to how our collaborators could play along with a project or offering.

Not everything we do matches every one of our collaborators, however we look at which collaborators would most benefit from joining us on a specific project or service and invite them to decide if they would like to participate or not. We also consider their perspective, opinions and input regarding the project. Often times a collaborator will provide a key insight that propels a project forward even if they are choosing not to participate in the direct actions of that project.

Our recent work with Tom Zender is a wonderful example of these principles. Together we joined forces and created a wonderful event. The planning and preparation were fun and we each learned much about the others’ business, and business philosophies. The event itself went smoothly and the clients have been reporting their enjoyment and appreciation for the value provided by the event.

However, the post event conversation was just as valuable as any other portion of the process.  We each had a better idea of the other business, and had experienced each other in a live situation. We could make better recommendations of projects that could benefit both businesses. We also offered each other suggestions based on our individual expertise that would not require a collaborative effort but would expand the other business.

There is no question that we will come together again for another project and that in the interim we are able to keep the other’s best interests in mind. We can each feel confident that if something comes along that the other is just perfect for we can recommend and refer them with absolute confidence.

The important part to remember is that collaborations are not “one night stands.” The relationship has to be nurtured. The objective is to serve our collaborator as they are serving us as well. Eventually a deep connection between the businesses will occur.

Then again maybe the opposite will happen. There is always the possibility that collaboration will simply become a joint venture. We shared our perspective of Joint Ventures as one time or short term commitments to share resources and or ideas in order to reach a specific goal. Perhaps you thought a specific project would lead to true collaboration and you found the other party just didn’t match your expectations or desires. If that person or organization isn’t the right match for you than simply bless their journey and call the whole thing a joint venture and move along.

Regardless of the outcome of a collaboration or joint venture the spiritually important thing is to bless everyone involved and Trust that the outcomes was perfect regardless of the appearances. Consider this example; we would have liked to have more participants in our tele-seminar with Tom. We would have liked to have had more of the people that participated fill out the exit survey. However neither of these factors impacted the quality of engagement between us and Tom and more importantly between the presenters and the attendees of the tele-seminar.

The initial exploration of our collaborative relationship with Tom has provided us and those that attended the tele-seminar a deeper and more complete understanding of how spirituality can influence and empower a more profitable and productive work environment.

As part of our collaborative efforts with Tom we are happy to release an mp3 recording of the tele-seminar and the supporting Introspection Guide to anyone that would like to learn more. Simply sign up for the complete Improve Profits and Empower Lives: The Economic Power of a Spiritual Work Environment package by completing the form below. We will send you the Introspection Guide and downloadable access to the entire tele-seminar. There is no pressure and no commitments on your part. All we ask is that you listen to the audio and follow the steps of the Introspection Guide and then decide if we and/or Tom are the right people to help you succeed in this ever changing business environment.

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Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems. You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/create-learning/3681763073/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Business is filled with people we would like to partner with, people we feel forced to partner with, and people we would rather have nothing to do with. The challenge is not determining which person falls into which category but rather finding ways to meet each person we interact with as a friend. Granted we may not be able to greet them as our best friend, but a friend none the less. Along the way we may find that those we thought of as marginal friends become better friends and good friends become great friends. Here at The Inspired Business Center we believe that every client, customer and partner has the potential to become a great friend and even more a great collaborator.

During the past month we have been looking at some of our collaborators The first thing to remember is that collaboration is truly a two way street. In order to attract great collaborators to our business we must also be great collaborators in return. The second aspect is to have a deep understanding of what our collaborator does, believes, and more importantly how they are accomplishing their mission and fulfilling their vision. Finally we have to become great friends to be great collaborators.

Collaboration can be defined in various ways, however we choose to look at collaboration as working towards a shared mission or vision in such a way that no one player is positioned above or below any of the others. This implies that all parties will equally share their resources, talents, and creativity. We can also hold an expectancy to share in the profits, expanded market exposure and social recognition once the mission and or vision is realized.

How then does one find others to collaborate with? This is a challenging question. There is no phone directory of honest, reliable, trustworthy collaborators that share our values, mission and vision. Finding a great collaborator is not something you wake up one morning and decide to recruit into your organization. There is no web site that allows you to search for conscious entrepreneurs or organizations that are truly creating sustainable products. Here is where the heavy work comes in. As a leader in today’s world you must be open and aware of trending topics, concepts and leaders within your industry. You have to take time to surf the web, take a risk on a new book, and engage with the ever increasing stream of tele-seminars.

We believe that as an organizational leader, part of your position requires you to research other thought leaders and explore the growing edge concept and processes prevalent in today’s business world. That is exactly how we met Tom Zender.

Tom has led a very busy life. He is a recognized spiritual leader and corporate executive with decades of success, Tom has held management positions at General Electric and Honeywell, and was a Senior VP in NYSE and NASDAQ listed corporations. He is President Emeritus of Unity which serves over three million people of all faiths worldwide. Tom’s entrepreneurship helped birth several technology companies. His corporate board experience includes NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange listed companies – plus nonprofits such as the Association for Global New Thought, Evolutionary Leaders, Forum for Corporate Directors and Ottawa University. He will also be sharing an hour of his time with us on May 5th.

Not long ago Rev. Marla approached me and asked if I had heard of Tom’s book God Goes to Work. I had not and so she picked up a couple of copies and suggested that The Inspired Business Center team members become familiar with him and his work. She set about contacting Tom and over the past several months we have begun the process of creating a business friendship and collaboration. We’re excited Tom has agreed to appear on a tele-seminar May 5th hosted by Rev. Marla.

Together they are creating an interactive and informative virtual seminar:  Improve Profits/Enrich People: The Economic Power of a Spiritual Work Environment. During this one hour event participants will learn:

* The key characteristics of a spiritual environment

* Management attitudes and behaviors that encourage and foster a spiritual environment

* How a spiritual environment can impact your bottom line

They have also agreed to share a 7- step spiritual tool kit of practical steps you can take to immediately enhance your life, the life of your employees and, ultimately the culture of your workplace. Everyone that registers for the Call will receive the toolkit and a downloadable recording of the call. They have also agreed to present this incredibly valuable information at no cost to you. Simply use the registration link below or CLICK HERE to learn more about this amazing opportunity.

Even if you cannot make the call please register so you can receive the recording and your complimentary 7- step toolkit with everything you need to begin building a spiritual work environment in your organization.

Whether you have a handful of collaborators or are wondering who your first collaborator might be, you stand on the growing edge of a new great adventure in your business. Finding, nurturing and developing your collaborative relationships is an adventure that takes time and yet will ultimately reward you and your clients with expanded opportunities to truly experience spiritual transactions. We encourage you to explore the opportunities and report back on your successes.

Follow this link to learn more about the Improve Profits / Enrich People: The Economic Power of a Spiritual Work Environment Tele-Seminar or Register right now for the call.

Regardless of your choice we wish you, Happy Collaborating.

Until next Time,

Robert

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Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems. You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanwalsh/4006230793/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Recent downturns in the economy have led to downsizing, fewer workers doing more and, as a result, drops in productivity.  As employers get busier, they begin to micro-manage and express disappointment at employees’ lack of drive and initiative.  This leads to,… you guessed it,… workers not taking initiative for fear of making mistakes.

Alain Bolea

Alain Bolea of Business Advisors Network is one of our Inspired Business Center’s Collaborators.  In a recent blog Alain says, “One contributing factor is that leaders see the world from a vantage point that others do not have.”  Employees can’t see the big picture and how their role fits in.

Another factor is that under this pressure, leaders tend to find it easier to do the work themselves, so things never get better and often get worse.  (Read the Article Here)

The answer, says Alain, is that leaders need to take the time to communicate.  When everyone understands where the organization is heading, what it stands for and how the team can function effectively under outside pressures, productivity takes off again.

Alain contends “From a greater collective clarity come:

• Better idea generation
• More open discussions
• Better understanding of the need for cooperation and communications
• More individual engagement into the outcomes and
• Better implementation.”

In short, Time is used differently.

Alain is a management advisor who helps organizations integrate the necessity of “making money” and the desire to “do the right thing” in terms of sustainability and social responsibility.   Learn more about Alain and the Business Advisors Network at www.business-advisors.net.

Until Next Time,

Marla

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Marla Riegel is the founder of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems.

You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

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There’s an old saying, “No one person can be an expert on everything.”  That’s why I believe in the power of collaboration. I define collaboration as working jointly with others to realize shared goals, bringing dynamic and powerful solutions to meet the challenges of The Inspired Business Center’s clients.

Kendra Lee, President, KLA Group

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be featuring various Center team members and sharing some of their ideas.  This week it is my great [pleasure to introduce Kendra Lee, President of KLA Group. She  and I have been working together for over 5 years.  Kendra is top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert and author of the award winning book “Selling Against the Goal”. She frequently speaks at national sales meetings and association events.

One of Kendra’s unique specialties is lead generation without cold calling.  I’ve had the opportunity to train and consult alongside her for national and international organizations. Kendra teaches how to generate prospects with compelling email content. She wrote “Prospecting via email can be wildly rewarding, or incredibly frustrating. Get it right, and each of your campaigns can deliver you fresh sales opportunities within days, and sometimes even minutes. Get it wrong and you risk wasting your time, or even worse, irritating potential clients.” By following 5 simple steps Kendra believes you, “… could find your inbox filled with replies from potential new clients.” As I have personally used her system I know it works.

The 5 steps are also quite easy to remember and even easier to implement.

Simply remember to:

Keep it short.

Be personal.

Open up with something compelling.

Show a result.

Ask them to take action right away… and make it easy for them to do it.

Collaboration is a key to any successful business. We all know that successful business owners and leaders do not operate in a vacuum. John Maxwell reminds us, “Think of any highly effective leader, and you will find someone who surrounded himself with a strong inner circle. You can see it in business, ministry, sports, and even family relationships.” That inner circle includes our collaborators. Our collaborators bring a fresh perspective and often ideas to our business. They promote us, they listen to our concerns and challenges, and they help us build a larger network.

Perhaps your business would benefit by adding a few new collaborators. The first step is to look at your existing clients and see if one or more would be a good match for collaboration.

Click Here to learn more about programs The Inspired Business Center can offer through our collaboration with KLA

Until Next Time,

Marla

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Marla Riegel is the founder of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems.

You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

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What are you doing to attract and retain
loyal customers?

Which Shall You Choose?

We’ve been talking a lot about the new economy, how consumers are driving a harder bargain and demanding more from existing vendors.   How do you avoid having competitors “on the cloud” leave you “in the dust?”

In the midst of all the confusion and information overload it’s easy to forget that our customers have been loyal because we’ve not only filled their order, but fulfilled our promise for quality, service and solutions that work.

What else are you doing to retain your good clients?   For most companies, lead generation and business development are keys to growth and profitability.  But even more important is keeping the customers you already have and getting them to buy more!

How often and in what ways do you say “thank you”?  What are you doing to find new solutions to the issues your clients face?

Branding has become a significant marketing concept.  But branding is much more than a clever tag line or a 30 second elevator speech.  Branding should say who you are as a company, what you stand for, what you can be counted on to deliver and why someone should develop a long-term business relationship with you.

Take an objective step back and look at your marketing materials, ad campaigns, and website and determine if your message is consistent and if it accurately reflects the company you are today.

Does your branding reflect the vision and values of the organization?  Do your employees know the importance of that branding message in how they interact with your customers?  Your branding promise and your unique selling proposition should be reflected in your day-to-day operation, from the way your receptionist answers the phone and directs the calls to the delivery of the product.

I recently went to purchase a computer from a store which advertises low prices and quality service, only to learn that if I wanted to get their advertised low price, I couldn’t buy it in the store, but had to go home and buy it online.  After some conversation, we determined that I could go online from one of their computers in the store and make my purchase and then walk up to the customer service counter with the receipt and pick up the product…. A good example of running your customer through the ringer before giving them the price you promised!

Now, more than ever before it’s vital to pay attention to every “stakeholder”; not only your shareholders, but everyone who has a “stake” in your business including employees, customers, vendors, and your community.

It’s a good reality check to invite a couple of business people and consumers who don’t currently work with you or your organization to review your marketing materials, ads and websites and tell you what they perceive, and where there are inconsistencies.  Ask some of your current customers to rate their experience with your company against what your branding statement promises.

In Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, author Verne Harnish says, “The brand promise is the key factor that sets you apart from all competitors…it is the starting point from which all other executive decisions are derived.”

In my newsletter this week I talked about Harnish’s 3 top concepts for business growth and success.   If you didn’t get a chance to read it, here’s the link :

http://theinspiredbusiness.com/dont-lift-your-downhill-leg-a-business-lesson-from-my-dog..html

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Marla Riegel is the founder of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems.

You are welcome to more fully explore “Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability Meet” by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julia_manzerova/2757851927/sizes/m/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Tom Zender

By: Tom Zender

If there is one thing that almost everyone can agree upon when it comes to spirituality, no matter your religious background or beliefs, it’s that spirituality brings clarity. The words spirituality and purity have long been synonymous. Spirituality can help to alleviate the muddle that comes with stress, and relax our tendency to overcomplicate our environment. When we struggle in life, when we feel lost, it is clarity that we seek. Spirituality provides such clarity in many emotional, relationship, and further normative contexts. Yet spirituality also has the ability to bring clarity into unclear and frustrating business contexts.

The foundation of business is communications. Deals, bargains, and projects are the result of an interaction between people. As this is where all business starts and ends, it only seems natural that clarity should be sought. While the multiple steps that go beyond the initiation of a potential deal are in many cases interwoven with such complexity that few can understand them, the initial steps should always be clear and concise. Within those steps, one should be able to find the motivation of the parties and their goals to be transparent and easily understood. There are deals where this is not the case, but I would state now that such deals are usually instances of one party trying to maximize their gains from the interaction rather than ensuring the best deal for all involved.

Why is this a problem? Well, business is a long term enterprise. The old chestnut of watching who you step on while you are on the way up, because you never know where they’ll be on your way down, is as true today as it has always been. Nothing lasts forever. Therefore, you want to create as supportive a business environment as possible for yourself and your firm at all times. You want to make sure that the continuity of your success is guaranteed through the high potential of help being there when you need it one day. Not to mention the fact that if both firms are trying to maximize their gains with respect to the needs of the other, a better arrangement over time will likely be found – reaping future gains that cannot exist without a continued and trustful partnership.

Thus the best business is always spiritual in the sense that it is clear and honest. It allows parties to minimize the time needed to do their deal, so that both parties can concentrate on other deals as well. It allows parties to develop a stronger network, sensitive to shifts in the marketplace – whether the changes are technological, taste-based, or event driven. There is always a selfish part to business – you can’t just go out of business or take a substantial loss in order to help the other firm. But the existence of this fact, having it out in the open, is as spiritual an act as envisioning the future benefits of treating your partners fairly today. While there are a lot of people out there trying to link business and other parts of the world to our spiritual selves through obscure and abstract theories, this is a very basic way in which good business can be seen as spiritual in nature. Not to mention the fact that business and spirituality are both ways of structuring our search for the unknown conditions that await us aound the corner. Here too, the greater clarity we can retain for ourselves, the better.

For more on this topic read God Goes to Work written by Tom Zender and available online and at bookstore everywhere. This timely book explains how successful individuals and firms are changing the way they do business by accessing and utilizing a vast reservoir of untapped energy. Learn why Spirituality is the basis for success and the most important asset you have in elevating you and your business to a new level of performance.

www.TomZender.com

TOM ZENDER is President Emeritus of Unity that serves over three million people of all faiths worldwide. He is a recognized spiritual leader and corporate executive with decades of success, who has held management positions at General Electric and Honeywell, and was a Senior VP in NYSE and NASDAQ listed corporations. His corporate board experience includes NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange listed companies.

Reprinted with permission. This article is presented unedited as an opportunity for you, our readers, to gain a deeper perspective of the authors we admire.

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The world is changing at a rapid pace. The kinds of businesses that are succeeding today, quite frankly, may have never made it past the development phase in prior decades. Behemoths that have dominated centuries of economic interaction are now on life support. Too many people are simply blaming this on a combination of mediocre government policy and a few corporate bad apples. But to understand that the world economy is run by some of the smartest people on earth, and then blame the whole thing on rudimentary assumptions about issues those at the top knew like the back of their hand, is disingenuous.

The true issue behind the potential collapse of the global system is a change in the fundamentals of commerce. An influx of information and a change in the way the majority of businesspeople look at the world around them has caused a major paradigm shift. And it is a shift towards a more natural, profitable way of doing business. However, it is also a shift that will seriously damage all economic institutions that refuse to adapt.

We are moving into an age of business where only flexible companies that focus on their human assets, allowing the people within the firm to drive the success of the business instead of placing them in synthetic and restrictive roles, will come out ahead. This is being proven all across the modern economy, where the best places to work find healthy profit margins and the corrupt companies that once found it easy to out-compete their rivals are facing the imprisonment of their chief executives.

The best way of enhancing the human factor of your business, is to come to an understanding of the great paradigm shift that is taking place in the business community. It is a shift towards the most organic, most fluent kind of interaction between people: a more natural kind of transaction. The first thing that brought people together in order to construct something together, to create something positive, was our belief in something more than ourselves. Faith, belief, spirituality, whatever you want to call it – the main driving factor within it was the creation of more prosperous communities.

Yet while the ancient Greeks may have feared not being spiritual would bring the wrath of the gods down upon their heads, today there is a more scientific approach being undertaken in introducing spirituality back into our wealth building. Today, we have the ability to realize that spirituality brings out the best in each of us individually and allows those contributions to amalgamate in such a form that the peak of human potential is reached. Instead of being spiritual in order to avoid the judgment of God, we are spiritual in order to reap the benefits of putting the good of the world ahead of ourselves.

This is the business tool of the future – creating more efficient, trustworthy, and caring networks of people in the business of raising their collective standards of living. Whether or not this translates into a global feeling of good will is yet to be seen, but it has already translated into a higher calibre business style that is stealing the hearts and minds of consumers away from oldschool corporate monoliths. And this is just the beginning of a very long, very permanent, process going on all around us here in 2010 and beyond.

For more on this topic read God Goes to Work written by Tom Zender and available online and at bookstore everywhere. This timely book explains how successful individuals and firms are changing the way they do business by accessing and utilizing a vast reservoir of untapped energy.
Learn why Spirituality is the basis for success and the most important asset you have in elevating you and your business to a new level of performance.

www.TomZender.com

TOM ZENDER is President Emeritus of Unity that serves over three million people of all faiths
worldwide. He is a recognized spiritual leader and corporate executive with decades of success,
who has held management positions at General Electric and Honeywell, and was a Senior VP in
NYSE and NASDAQ listed corporations. His corporate board experience includes NASDAQ
and Toronto Stock Exchange listed companies.

Reprinted with permission. This article is presented unedited as an opportunity for you, our readers, to gain a deeper perspective of the authors we admire. You can purchase a copy of his book by clicking on the cover image above.

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