Top 10 business maxims that need to go - Part - 3.
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Josh Billings (or Mark Twain or Artemus Ward or...)
Much well-known business advice is sadly obsolete but can still be found in articles, business books and, not least, in daily use in the workplace. It seems that some companies are still guided by thinking that is sadly out of date - if it was ever true to begin with.
The worst of these old maxims are not only wrong, they're bad for people and bad for business. Businesses who use them are making their employees unhappy and are harming the bottom line.
Here's my pick of the top 10 business maxims in serious need of an update - with a suggested replacement for each.
Old maxim #3: Never be satisfied
Meaning: You can never be satisfied and complacent in business. You have always gotta want more.
This is a bad mistake, which rests on a very fundamental misconception, namely that being satisfied means that you stop acting. That satisfaction breeds complacency and therefore that a happy, satisfied company will be passive. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, a constant sense of dissatisfaction in an organization sends one powerful message: We are not good enough! The irony is that this results in worse performance.
People who constantly appreciate all the good in their organization and express their satisfaction create a much more positive working environment characterized by more:
· Motivation
· Energy
· Self-confidence
· Happiness at work
This is not about closing your eyes and pretending things are great if they are not. It is about appreciating the fact that people in constant states of dissatisfaction erode an organization's will and ability to act. The trick is to appreciate what you have and still aim for more.
Replacement: Always be appreciative but never complacent.
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