We are in a transition period in the business world, in my opinion, from best business practices to truly authentic business practices. Best practices are used in nearly every industry and professional discipline to encourage business self-regulation and ever-improving standards of excellence. These practices helped bring the business world to new heights in recent years. Now I see the beginning of a transition to a new level in business that incorporates those measurable best practices with something personal and more intangible – consciousness.
As you may have noticed, we are in a time of change in our society. As responsible business people, there is much we can contribute to the successful flow of change in the world. How? By the way in which we conduct business. I believe that to be the best you can be, it is essential to live a life that is authentic for you in all aspects of your life – including in business. What that means in a day to day way, is that you take each day as an opportunity to conduct your business in the same manner in which you approach other aspects of your life – with compassion and consideration.
Truly authentic business practices encourage the pursuit of success as life-affirming work – work that considers the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit within an inextricable web of relationships. There are ways to make even the most intricate business situation work out to enhance that triple bottom line, even if that solution is not “the way we have always done it.” It can mean taking the risk of expressing your true ethics even though they may go against the grain of business as usual. To do so takes courage, however, to not do so can create inner conflict.
The truly authentic way to approach each aspect of your life, including your professional world, is as a planetary citizen looking out for the betterment of all in this generation and those generations that follow. What will you create as your legacy?
Creating and maintaining excellent business relationships is certainly a means through which you can practice truly authentic business practices. Staying aware and alert that how you do what you do is important. People are looking to you as an example. Make sure that example reflects your core values. From the legal perspective, it means that your contracts state your intentions and agreements clearly and honestly. By contracts, I mean of the agreements you make in the business world – your governing documents, employee manual, privacy and security policies, and business to business arrangements.
I encourage you to engage your business life as though each decision and action you take today impacts the future of this planet in some small or large means. Because it does. What kind of world do you want to help create now? What kind of world do you want to leave to our little ones? By conducting truly authentic business practices, you will help to create a more enlightened and compassionate life not only for yourself and your business associates but for all of us.
“I encourage you to engage your business life as though each decision and action you take today impacts the future of this planet in some small or large means.”
Darity, your conclusion is one that should be easily understood and embraced because everything we do affect the lives of those who reside on planet earth in some way, shape or form for good or for bad. Being our authentic self is conducive to creating strong relationships. Thank you.
It is indeed, Yvonne! While authenticity and transparency are buzzwords for the 21st Century, it’s important to actually be it, be vulnerable, be open, be honest! So much better for the world, eh?