Business is personal.

Business is personal.

I have heard it a bunch of times in movies or on television, where someone says “It’s not personal, it’s only business.” Usually the person who says it is playing the villain. They claim that business is not personal.  I am here to challenge this way of thinking. Business is personal.

Welcome to 60 Seconds of Motivational Mojo. People who follow this blog may say, “Here we go again.” New readers may say, “What is this guy up too?” I just try to look at life and explain my take on things. Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t. I am only asking for a minute of your time.

I think Business is always personal. Business is done by and affects people. Every good or service, sold exchanged or bartered; starts and ends with people. Now with the rise of not only vending machines, cash machines and internet marketplaces, we can sometimes lose sight of the fact that Business is conducted by people. Every good or bad business decision made affects people in the end. If the business profits or fails it affects the people who work there, the community around the business and everyone one of their customers in one way or another. Business is done by, for and affects people. Business is personal.

Maybe we have become desensitized, maybe we have watched too many movies where people look out over a vast skyline and never meet the people face to face who are affected by their decisions. In the 1980’s there were many movies made about Corporate Greed and Gangster Rules; the Leaders always said it was Business not Personal. How can raiding pension funds or threatening people to make bad decisions not be personal? Removing ourselves from the scene of the crime even if it is only in our mind does not make it the right thing to do. Business should not mean sacrificing people for profit. Business should always be a win – win for as many people as possible. Business should be personal. I say business is personal.

So no, there are no best-selling books with my name on them yet. As far as I know there are no books with my name on them yet. There are no movies and catch phrases associated with me or any character I have played yet. No one has written the story of my life yet. Many people will ultimately ask, who am I to be making these bold claims? I am a guy who has worked his whole adult life and come to realize that business is personal. I am a work in progress.

It does not matter what job you are doing, or what title you hold; business is personal. It does not matter if you own the business, work for the business, are a customer of the business or even rob the business; it is personal. What you do affects the lives and livelihoods of others. If you are open and honest about your dealings or if you are trading in deception; what you do will affect people. Business should be personal. Business is personal.

If you follow the money from start to finish. Business always starts and ends with people. Even if you cannot see their faces, your business decisions affect people in the end. Business should be personal. People should think twice about if they would want to be on the other side of the deal. Business is personal. So I stand against every movie quote and every pop culture trend that says “Business is not personal.” I say business is always personal. If you think twice, you may agree. Business is personal!