February 18, 2020 |

How Fast Does Business Move?

Business should move at lightning speed, right?  We have all these tools and technologies at our disposal.  So many things are automated. Nobody uses carbon paper, typewriters or mimeograph machines anymore (those born after 1980, you’ll need to Google those things).  Much of business actually does move at lightning speed. Do you order from Amazon? Then you get it. Why then, is there so much complaining about things taking too long?

The answer lies in how you define “business”.  If you’re referring to the delivery of a product or service, then speed is pretty important to everyone.  Customers vote with their dollars, and they will spend those dollars elsewhere if their need for instant gratification is too often unmet.  By this definition, business typically moves fast.

However, if you’re referring to the billions of behind the scenes human-to-human interactions that happen in business daily, there’s inaction, delay, procrastination, hurry-up-and-wait, gamesmanship and downright incompetence.  Things can move at the speed of cold molasses.

What can change that?  Relationships. For those billions of behind the scenes human-to-human business interactions that happen daily, relationships rule.  Business moves at the speed of relationships. Period. Build relationships with people in your company, your niche, your industry, your customers, your supplier base.  Don’t do it in a self-serving and manipulative manner; quite the contrary. These are people in your ecosystem. Why wouldn’t you want to know them and vice-versa? Why wouldn’t you want to help them and know you can rely on them?  These people are just like you. They want to contribute; they want to win, and they want to matter. Shared purpose creates meaning. Meaning leads to success; in business and in life.

People like helping other people.  Take the time. Make the effort. Then watch how much faster business moves for you.