Business and life lesson from an Orchestra

Most people today enjoy listening to music, albeit singers, bands or a full orchestra. To me in orchestral music we can learn much about how to run an effective business. So what is an orchestra? 

An orchestra - an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. The term orchestra derives from the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus. The orchestra grew by accretion throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but changed very little in composition during the course of the twentieth century. 

In a growing business concern either through employees or contractors you as the owners work to create an organization to accomplish the mission of servicing your customers and/or clients. An orchestra performs a work of music for their audience (customers/clients). So, what lessons are here? 

• A conductor – leads the orchestra in performance and rehearsals, determining as the leader the musical works being performed as well as the tempo (speed and rhythm) at which the work will be performed.
• An orchestra exists to perform music – not engineering, law, auto repair – they are focused.
• An musician plays from common sheet music
• Each instrument in the organization has a unique sound and make no effort to serve in other rolls albeit vocal, winds, wood wind, string, percussion (does not pretent to be what isit not)
• Each instrument has its own strengths and limitations
• Each instrument works to compliment the others in the orchestra
• All orchestra members practice to ensure a professional performance
• Each musician learns to master their instrument before joining the orchestra
• Each musician follows the first chair, section leader and ultimately the conductor
• Each musician learns to read sheet music if only by sight and follow what it dictates
• Each musician understands the importance of keeping their commitments
• No member works to outshine the group unless the music calls for is and only when asked to do so
• Each member agrees to the uniform of the organization
• Even when performing in unison the musicians play within the range octaves of their instruments – i.e. c is still c but in the octave of their instrument
• Each member musician is treated with respect
• Each musician maintains and respects the instruments (equipment)
• Each musician understands the importance of self control
• The success of the orchestra is based on who well each section gel and work together – the failure of a single section is a failure of the whole 
  
• The fun is when all of the hard work comes together for a successful and well received performance
  

Are there any lessons you would like to add?

The Secrets of #Business Success

For years I have read many books on how to run and build a successful business. Some books say write a business plan, others talk about elaborate systems of control, even others speak of marketing.  All of these are good but they do not speak to the core issues. 

There is a saying the more things change the more they stay the same. Fact is what is takes to run and grow a business has not ever changed. Before discussing how to create a successful business let me explain simple why businesses fail.  I will start with a simple truth – a business runs at an imbalance – that is it spends less money than it generates in revenue. An unsuccessful business spends more than it makes in revenue (to grow) or spends exactly what it makes. It really is that simple and that is why a business fails. 

Some will tell you either grow or die and that to some extent is true however it is not the growth that is important rather it is the type of growth – is it natural and sustainable and balanced based on true business needs (like the cycle of nature) or is it forced, cabalistic an hostile in nature like (like a predator in an ecosystem with a limited source of food). The first can be maintained it is controlled the latter if left unchecked (i.e. driven by greed) will lead to the demise of an already fragile ecosystem and the eventual death of the business and all associated with it. 

The underlying principles that determine the sustainability and success of your business have not changed since the beginning of time. 

• Respect
• Honesty
• Trust 

Without these three (3) basic ingredients a business will fail 

• Respect – seeing and understanding the value, contribution and importance of all things (people, facilities, equipment, contractors, suppliers, employees, clients, customers, etc) involved in the enterprise and maintaining or working to enhance or at a minimum maintain them.
• Honesty – understanding your core values and strengths and providing a full disclosure to all involved so that they can made an educated determination as to your value and ability as well as remove any doubt regarding your being able to execute the terms of the agreement and knowing that if you cannot you will tell them
• Trust – the obvious result of doing the first two.    

When these characteristics are in place people can them rely on you to and trust you with their wellbeing because fact is in business you are hired to solve a problem and you do not do business with people you do not trust long term. 

Sure a book will give you all of this great theory

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Business Ethics
• Organizational Behavior
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial
• Accounting
• Sales and Marketing
• Human Resources
• Cash Accounting
• Accrual Accounting
• Leveraging
• Business Ethnics
• Supply and Demand
• Strategic Planning
• Business and Contract Law
• Information Mapping
• Manufacturing and Production
• Operations Management
• Statistics
• Technology and Information Systems 

And a host of other theories but as is always the case in the reality and truth of what is required is simple we as people make it complicated.

• Add value
• Do your best
• Solve Problems
• Keep your word
• Service before Self
• Spend less than you Earn 

If I have left anything off feel free to add

Habits

It is hard for

• a kind person to stop
  
• an honest person to stop
  
• a hateful person to stop
  
• a liar to stop
  
• a thief to stop
  
• a helper to stop
  
• a manipulator to stop
  
• a worker to stop
  
• a slacker to stop
  
• a giving person to stop
  
• a user to stop
  
• an addict to stop
  
• a creative person to stop
  
• a giving person to stop
  
• a loving person to stop
  
• a hateful person to stop
  
• a rude person for stop
  
• a polite person to stop
  
• a selfish person to stop
  
• a constructive person to stop
  
• a destructive person to stop
  
• a self destructive person to stop 
  
• etc
  

Doing exactly what they do because they do it because it is who and what they are. That is why a liar never believes anyone is telling the truth and a truthful person has the hardest time believing and understanding that someone lied to them. Remember this simple truth – we never truly see the world as it is, rather we see the world as we are.

Business Ethics and Profitability (Happy Birthday Lyn)

Before I start let me wish my sister Lyn a Happy Birthday. Family is and remains very import and so often we forget this simple truth. We also forget we care about and respect those who bring us value and what greater value is there than family? 

Would it surprise you to know that you can be ethical and successful? Would it surprise you that it is almost impossible to not be ethical and maintain long term business success. Am reflecting on a conversation with my friend and some of the things he told me on this venture we are pursuing. The long and short of it are as follows – over a 10 year period you have shown yourself to be honest, reliable, dependable and your actions align with your words. You do what you say when you say it and make no excuses and blame no one. You focus on results and remove unproductive distractions. In addition you actually do care about people. 

This causes me to wonder – with everything going on in the news and the financial meltdown when did customer service, integrity, character, and other base values become obsolete? When did we buy into you cannot be moral and ethical and run a business? When did we confuse cons and exploitation with legitimate business? 

The other day on my twitter feed I asked this simple question: “Why is it we killed Dr. King whose message at its core was here are our guiding documents we should live up to them and yet allow a man who exploited friend, family and clients out of millions and billions on a scam to roam free on the street?” 

Also I wonder why when people do exactly what they say they will do all along are they surprised? 

Just some thoughts to ponder as you watch these videos – hope they provoke some thoughts. This is the stuff my friends and family discuss often.