Posted on: June 18th, 2022

During my coaching and counseling sessions, I usually get told the symptoms or effects of the issues people are facing. It is my job to help them recognize and understand the root causes(s). It is up to me to help accurately define the issues and to segregate the effect of the problem from its root cause. 

A problem well-defined is a problem half-solved – John Dewey

When coaching business clients, one of the questions I ask is: Why are you in business? More often than not, my clients are shocked because they think the answer is obvious. Then they give me the classic answer: I am in business to make money OR I am in business to feed my family.

Both answers are wrong! No one is in business to make money or to feed their family. These two things are effects of being in business and not the cause. The reason every single business exists is to serve and meet the needs and wants of people. The better an organization is at seeking to understand the wants and needs of people, and then doing all they can do to meet those needs and wants, the more successful the business will be; the more the business will grow; the more money the business will make.

What I find interesting is that the concept of serving to succeed is nothing new! In fact, it has been around for centuries. You hear it in the words of Jesus when He says: The greatest amongst you will be your servant (Matthew 23:11). Others have modified the saying by stating: It is not about a title but a towel. Again, Jesus says that the greatest commandment from God is to love (Mark 12:28-32). Love can be defined as selfless sacrifice to serve and meet the needs of people. With this definition, it is clear that the reason for business to exist is to love. So, what do you know…it seems as if love (rather than money) makes the world go round after all. The better a business is at ‘loving’ their customers, the more money the business will make. The effect is money but the cause is love!

How can you effectively love people if you don’t study them, ask them questions, see what their likes and dislikes are? How can you effectively love people if you don’t understand them? Taking time to really know your customer needs and wants is essential to business success. If you stay customer focused and do all you can to serve them, you will win with them and they will gladly pay you for the value you add. This is how you win in business.

In conclusion, remember, love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).