Practicing Transparent Business
Transparency is the best form of humility. We should be humble and confident in who we are and in what we stand for in our business practices. This confidence gives strength to our character and it’s our character that shapes our reputation. Study very carefully every detail in a business relationship before it has been finalised.
Now is the time to start practicing transparent business with your friends, clients & associates.
This post was inspired by @ChrisSaad‘s tweet about Transparency. You can see it here.
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If we haven’t met before, I’d love to meet you! You can find out a little bit about me here and get in contact with me here. Are you on Twitter? You can follow me here: @mikeboyd
Mike, I think you were the first person I'd ever heard talk about having your “personal” phone number the same as your “business” phone number. I remember at the time thinking “what the?”. The more I read & think about this though – it becomes much clearer. It may be different for folk who go to “work” versus those who live & breathe their vocation. Its a much more challenging task to be transparent, but the benefits in your relationships & outcomes are much more fulfilling. Cheers, Leesa
Ps – I love the “What's Been Keeping Me Busy” addition to your website. Think I might plagarise this!
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Leesa, thanks so much for stopping by again and let me start with an apology… I've just discovered another comment from you here: http://mikeboyd.com.au/290/the-ripple-effect/#c… I somehow missed this in the inbox and feel aweful, I will reply to that comment straight after this one!
For transparency in business IS transparency with yourself as well, your personal brand. Once upon a time I had different personalities for my different circles of friends. I would behave differently – I would “act” in different social settings. But after a while you realise (so glad I did) that this is actually doing more harm than good. What happen when one of those circles overlaps unexpectantly with another? When two people who know you differently meet each other? It simply doesn't work, and you're reputation, integrity and values can be questioned.
But here's a novel idea… why don't I just be ME!? Me, just plane old Mike Boyd. I do what I do, I like what I like and I have opinions that I'm proud of. No longer do I bend myself to fit different holes. As Michael Doneman would say, “I'm a square peg trying to fit in a round hole” – it just doesn't work. Instead I'm proud of ME, I embrace ME and I shout it from the rooftops!
I've never been happier. I love myself and that attracts other people who also love me. It makes 'acting' to fit a stereotype or expectation just sound absurd!
Lastly, digital media has really changed the game. It has really opened up transparency in everyone's lives. Slowly people are revealing their true colours as they connect all of their various 'circles' together on networks such as Facebook. How do you behave differently to different people when you're on display 24/7 to the world. I think it's much easier to just be yourself!
My personal phone number certainly is my business number because my business is my life and my life is my business. I'm completely transparent. If you, or anyone for that matter would ever like to speak to me, for any reason at all, you can call 0421 960 720
Thanks again for your feedback Leesa – love it!
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P.S. on the point I made about digital media, this 2mins on YouTube by @GaryVee says it better than I ever could… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg2MukcqbdE&feat…
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Mike,
Couldn’t agree more. I used to have different personalities and behaviours depending on which group of friends I was around. It was exhausting and unrewarding – I never actually just got to me be. Seems such a simple lesson to learn but a very important one!
I am who I am and I love it
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That's exactly right Shilo, it's absolutely exhausting! And for what? It doesn't achieve anything that you can't also achieve by being yourself.
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I agree wholeheartedly. Transparency is a business practice that I believe should be mandatory. Business is brutal I know, but without transparency, we are just savages hungry for profit.
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