Posts Tagged ‘competence’

Being good at what you do and knowing you are good is a feeling worth striving for. 

We all strive to accomplish our goals, satisfy our curiosity, learn something new or perfect a skill because it fulfills our human desire to have an effect on the world around us.  This drive for competence or accomplishment can motivate business owners to grow and expand,  to improve their product and open new markets.  It can also keep us working until long after dark.

How do you define your own success?  What is it you truly want to accomplish with your business? If you are seeking only to build wealth, ask yourself what is the money for.  If your answer does not include relationship with others and activities that bring you joy, your success will not make you happy.

Revisit you business plan.  What is the ultimate outcome of your business success?  Does the outcome you named bring you joy?

All human beings, business owners included, have basic human needs.  No matter how inspired the product or humble the expectation of success if your business does not provide your basic human needs, ultimately you will have to close your doors.

That your business must provide for your food, shelter and clothing needs is not news to you.  You are also well aware that you must feel safe and secure in your environment or you will not be able to sustain your business, but what about beyond that. What about the desire to build a life that is rich and satisfying?  What does your business need to provide to make you happy?

All humans seek relationship, competence and autonomy.  A truly successful business will fulfill all these needs for the business owner (and hopefully the staff).  Having an understanding of the human needs behind the objectives and strategies of your business can be a bridge that connects your work and your life.

In my next posts we will look closer at how each of these important human needs can be met through your business.

As always, let’s begin our exploration with a current reality check in: How do you balance your life now?