The Importance of a business model – “Essence, Personality and Identity”

Just as our personality and identity form the basis out of which all our personal expression comes as a natural and automatic by-product, the model for a business serves the same function. It establishes the basis for what forms our vision, mission, values, ethics, standards and philosophy – out of which we can easily form rules, policy, protocol and procedures. All of these can be summarized as the businesses personality and identity which are key factors for developing image and style. All people working within the business share a similar “personal model†to the business model, and all company training is designed as an expression of the business model which then establishes it as a culture.

 
The business model also establishes firm guidelines by which everything can be measured and evaluated for compliance and effectiveness, as well as to ensure consistency. It creates structure and order through well-defined rules and methods that ensure a smooth running operation. So a sound and well thought out business model should be one of the first steps to business development. If you are having constant problems with a lack of consistency, poor training, or the inability to make decisions that support the primary values and ethics of the business, one of the first places to look when trouble-shooting, should not only be the business model, but whether or not it is understood and being effectively demonstrated by key people and strategically implemented in all areas of the operation.

 
A business model should also clearly convey the overall identity and personality or “style†of the business. Not just through the primary vision, mission, and values, but also in describing the emotional atmosphere and moral conduct of everyone involved. Job descriptions should also include the personality traits and characteristics of the person as the ideal basis for how they perform their position, what image they convey to clients, and what type of experience they create through their common interactions. Emotional intelligence should be built in to the fundamental training programs, and all leaders within the organization should consistently demonstrate a positive attitude and well-managed emotional control. The managers, staff leads, and professional staff should be trained in psychological skills that they teach by demonstrating, as well as use intelligently to interact and handle any problematic situations should they arise in a creative and peaceful manner.

As an Entrepreneur or developer of a business, we have to provide ourselves as well as our people with the necessary resources to build the practice from the ground up instilling intelligent practices into the very foundation. If transforming an existing practice to take it to a higher level of excellence and proficiency, strategic intervention that introduces change at the most effective and influential level of the organization is crucial. All persons responsible for producing the change must be educated in the psychological skills necessary for producing change through emotional engagement and by not only eliciting a state of cooperation, but a state of enthusiastic and invigorated participation. People need to be invested in the change as an actual outcome or community experience that will give them a powerful sense of themselves by being a productive and important part of it.

 
The attitude we use in how we treat our staff, is the same attitude they employ in assisting our clients. Whatever emotions we employ when interacting with our staff, we stimulate and call forth in them, and they perform out of that emotional state. The biggest factor for improving performance of the very people running our business is to understand the importance of the emotional atmosphere of the business as set by “key people†within the organization and how they’re “being†on a regular basis. All behavior is ultimately emotionally driven. Whatever mood someone is in is directly reflected in how they’re behaving and what energy they’re putting off. Negative emotions produce behavior that expresses those emotions, activating them in everyone else that they come into contact with. Likewise, positive emotions produce an elevated energy that infects others with the same feeling.

 
All business models should include a strong emphasis on the “psychology of the business†by defining rules of engagement that involve attitudes, emotional expression and etiquette. These are behavioral standards of the business, which means they must be upheld at all times by everyone involved, no exceptions. One person with a bad attitude and frequent emotional outbursts and destructive behaviors, tolerated and allowed to continue as part of a team, will act to undermine that team by infecting them with the same toxic energy. One bad apple, indeed . . . ruins the whole bunch! Strong emotions of any kind are powerful influences that serve to stimulate everyone around them with the same emotions. Be very clear on the emotional atmosphere necessary to create and operate your business in a way that determines what kind of an experience someone is going to have who’s doing business with you.

Dr. Linda Gadbois
Professional Training and Mentoring
Innovative Management Services
Business Consulting

About the author:
Dr. Linda is a Spiritual Scientist and scholar of Hermetic Sciences and Ancient Wisdom traditions. She’s a professional educator and trainer for all areas of personal transformation, self-creation, mind development, and soul/spiritual evolution. She practices Integrative Medicine with a special emphasis on Psychology and Creative therapies. She conducts ongoing classes, Playshops, and Adventure Seminars, and is available for private or group training, mentoring, and speaking engagements.
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