Make Sure You Massage Your Business Decisions

It Is Always More Than A Good Idea.

I raised three daughters.  I rest my case.

They have turned out quite well, however.  All have completed their college education and are gainfully and wonderfully employed.  My wife and I are fully aware of how blessed we are on that subject.  One has her Masters, one completed some foreign studies before she graduated and the third one graduated from a tough private school.  All three are also wonderful citizens.  They are very giving young ladies.

When any one of those three girls take on a project in life, count it done.  They have all learned how to start a good project, massage it and complete it.  One took on motorcycle riding.  One took on photography.  A third one climbs dangerous rock cliffs.  They love living in cities yet prefer quiet time alone.  They have learned how to massage just the right dose of each.  All of them can find enjoyment in a variety of craft projects.  All of them are technological skilled and read very well.  All three pay close attention to the world and its current issues.  They have come to recognize how important it is to massage life.

Five weeks ago, I was asked by my employer to write a business plan for a suggestion I made about introducing a new revenue stream.  I was serious about the idea enough to gain his interest.  The request was the result of an initial brief conversation, some continued follow-up idea exchange conversations, and a more forceful series of brief discussions.  At which point, he said, "Go write me a business plan to make that idea happen."  The vision needed to be massaged.  The buyer and the seller needed some time to work the idea through the tunnels of thought that massage all of the tight thoughts that restrict the flow of ease and possibility.  The vision needed to be massaged.

I spent the last five weeks working on the development of that new business plan.  The first week was a week of 'visioning.'  I had to massage my own brain.  I completed that process by the end of the week with a PowerPoint overdraft of what the new program might look like.  I did not provide a high level of specificity.  It was prepared and presented much like an entertaining commercial.  It was not filled with heavy details.  It was prepared with a lot of massaging.  When completed I made sure my immediate supervisor was given the first opportunity to review the video presentation of the PowerPoint.  I wanted to make sure I was massaging protocols correctly.  He was amazed with the production.  I spent some time with him to see if he had anything to add to the project idea or if he would change anything.  He was overwhelmed with the project idea.  I needed more time to massage his acceptance.  Massaging your work is something all business owners should consider.

Once he felt comfortable with the presentation he moved about our division sharing how much he was impressed with the idea.  I then sent the PowerPoint commercial to the CEO who requested the business plan in the first place.  I was convinced the right level of massage was given to the middle management managers and was received very well.  It was ready for the CEO in corporate office to review.

The same day the CEO viewed the PowerPoint was the same day he shared how he believed the idea would work.  He called and said to prepare a business plan for the idea.  The past five weeks was consumed to find the time chips squeezed to complete this plan and submit it for adjustment and approval.  The process for massage was endless.  Every idea was massaged with thoughts and mental tests given for the purpose of check and balances.  The final written business plan was completed, printed in two copies, one for my immediate supervisor and one for the CEO.  It was a comprehensive presentation so not much was said for a few days.  The final written business plan was not a simple commercial.  It was comprehensive, detailed and specific.

It Is Always Beyond The Text Books.

When my daughters decided to go to college, each one of them knew what they wanted to do.  All three, however, are employed in completely separate fields of discipline now.  What each one entered college to study has changed into completely different fields of employment.  One entered college to become a nurse.  Mid-way through she decided she actually wanted to teach students.  She changed her schooling to receive her Masters in school counseling.  The second daughter attended a private art college, a really tough and acclaimed one.  She is nicely employed in the medical field and performs her artistic needs with her work she sells online.  The third daughter received honors in a major architectural design school but changed mid-stream and finished her college education in international business.  She is employed by a very large international technology firm that repairs and designs architectural software.

Each time a plan for life was put into sight, the three girls learned how to massage it into something they would prefer to see happen.  Massaging their future became part of their successful processing.  When you make a business decision in this day and age, it might help the leader a great deal if they would learn more about massaging the process the decision travels.  Decisions no longer work as well with cut and dried abruptness.  They are more clearer to see when they are cut and dried.  Unfortunately, very few individuals will take possession of those decisions that are delivered abruptly.  That method of leadership has all but run its course.

Learn how to massage

To build a successful and profitable business model requires acceptance on many levels.  Each level needs its own time to become better massaged.  The key to building and producing a great business plan requires a lot of leadership patience.  If you want your business decisions to produce nicely arranged profits, make sure you learn how to massage your business decisions.  By massaging them correctly your results stand a better chance to become more profitable and may last longer.  Both of these desires are good to the checkbook of your business model.  Make sure you massage your business decisions.  Work them from 'all' fronts.  Do not rely on a good decision to carry itself by its own merits.  I have seen great ideas with wonderful logic and timing, fail.  Sometimes the success of a project does not depend upon the merit of the material.  Sometimes the success comes from the energy everyone else supplies to make it happen.  I prefer to have more leaders pushing in the same direction.  A good business massage helps to see that type of support materialize.

Consider adding some patience to your great ideas.  The work will always be in front of you and the results are always able to be gained.

Become a better business masseuse.  Your business model is waiting for its turn.

Until next time...