It is deeply ingrained in most enterprise professionals to try to fix things. Business plans, cash flows, products and people.
We listen to our clients for signs of weakness or difficulty and then we try and fix the problem, usually by referring them to a course or another expert.
Much of our work is biased towards exposing and managing deficiencies rather than uncovering and celebrating strengths. This has become a deeply embedded part of our work – an almost medical approach to helping.
Think ‘Inform, Diagnose, Broker’. Think ‘Best Practice Business Diagnostic’.
We become just another part of the system that has for years highlighted and exposed weaknesses.
How would our work be changed if instead of this focus on the weaknesses we spent our time helping our clients to recognise what they have done, what they can do and what they can do to use these strengths to make progress?
The Development Trust Association exists to help communities to take control of the physical assets in their community and use them for public good.
Is there a similar service that helps individuals to uncover their assets (skills, passion, energy, talent, anger) and reclaim them in pursuit of progress?
So why not spend some time trying to avoid highlighting the problems – and instead accentuate the positive.
Developing a healthy pre-occupation with what is right, rather than re-emphasising all of the things that are wrong is likely to hold the key to building really constructive relationships in support of more enterprising individuals and communities.