Early spring (in the Netherlands) is full of life without us seeing it. I would like to share two lessons with you that might help you as a manager or entrepreneur.
I love it when it gets a little warmer and that you can smell spring in the air. Spring teaches me two important lessons that you can apply to your business as well.
Lesson 1: A Lot Happens Without You Controlling It
The special thing about early spring is that it seems as if nothing is happening. The trees don’t have leaves yet, nothing is growing yet and the fauna is also pretty quiet. But there is much more than meets the eye! In the ground all kind of things are happening. The roots are growing, the juices are starting to flow and if you look carefully you might see the buds in trees and bushes.
The same is true for doing business. Without us knowing it, a lot is happening. Of course we have sown, we have “taken root” and there is fertile soil. But the process of growing cannot be managed nor controlled. Besides that, you cannot see the effects of this growing process directly.
That is why it is important to trust this subterranean process. Every now and then I get these hints that all kind of things are happening without me knowing and controlling it. I have clients at my workshops for example, that say that they have been receiving my newletter for some years and just now felt the urge to sign up for a workshop. All those years I didn’t know they were thinking of joining a workshop.
Another example is a colleague entrepreneur in Madrid, Spain whom I talked to. In the process he dropped the information that he was working on getting a project started with a university in Paris and that he was thinking of including me in the project. This was not the time yet, but he just wanted to share it with me. After this remark we talked about the agreed topic of our conversation. This casual remark made me realise very clearly that all kind of things are happening without me knowing and controlling it.
So trust the subterranean process in your business even though you might not see the results yet.
Lesson 2: Everything Has Its Own Rhythm
This lesson is an extension of lesson 1. If you allow the subterrenean processes to do its work, it is also about the right timing. When do you take action and when is it time to lay back?
First it is good to realise that everything and every person has its own rhythm. You have your rhythm, your company, your products, your clients, your business partners, everything and everyone has its own rhythm. It is all about following this rhythm instead of overruling these rhythms while making rational plans.
This rhythm is not something you can calculate or determine rationally. You can connect with this rhythm by becomming quiet and focus your attention inwards and connect with your service or product. Then you feel, know of see what is currently asked from you. Is this the time for action, an outward focussed and forwards oriented movement? Or is it about stillness, rest and a movement of withdrawl?
It is just like breathing which also has rhythm of going outward and inward. The same goes for your relationship with clients, a joint project and even for your company as a whole.
So connect with the rhytm of your company, yourself and your clients or customers and let this rhythm determine your actions.
Tip 3: Don’t Mess Up The Natural Rhythm With All The Man’-Made Rhythms
Besides these two lessons I have an additional tip.
When tuning in to the rhythm realise that we have created all kind of artificial rhythms. For example working 9-5, 7 days in a week, 12 months in a year. These are not right. Maybe your rhythm is to work 6 days a week and then rest for 3 days. Or it is different for you in spring than in the fall.
Even rhythm of the seasons, how natural this rhythm might be, doesn’t have to be your natural rhythm of focusing outside (summer) and inside (winter). Maybe you like to be very active in the winter and focus outside. That is perfectly okay. As long as you determine the rhythm in connection with yourself, your company and your customers.