Comments on: Business IS personal and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/ Thoughts and commentary on the daily juggle betweek work and family Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:08:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: The upside of being a working mom - Work It, Mom! Blog - Work It, Mom! http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-18909 The upside of being a working mom - Work It, Mom! Blog - Work It, Mom! Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:26:42 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-18909 [...] content and diet tips?”) is difficult, but it’s also very personal. (When I said that business is personal I really meant it.) Sometimes I truly feel beaten [...] [...] content and diet tips?”) is difficult, but it’s also very personal. (When I said that business is personal I really meant it.) Sometimes I truly feel beaten [...]

]]> By: Daisy http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7773 Daisy Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:02:25 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7773 My business is teaching young children, so it has to be personal to some extent. With no emotional investment, the passion for teaching just wouldn't be there. But there has to be balance; when a student's family becomes homeless, I can't take them in myself. I can make professional contacts to find them services, and that's where my emotions need to lead. My business is teaching young children, so it has to be personal to some extent. With no emotional investment, the passion for teaching just wouldn’t be there. But there has to be balance; when a student’s family becomes homeless, I can’t take them in myself. I can make professional contacts to find them services, and that’s where my emotions need to lead.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7758 Kristen Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:15:11 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7758 It's funny, I try not to take things personally and it is very hard. The one person who always tells me not to take things personally is my husband, so I think your conclusions are right on. Men and women are wired differently no matter what "work" we are doing like business or raising kids. It’s funny, I try not to take things personally and it is very hard. The one person who always tells me not to take things personally is my husband, so I think your conclusions are right on. Men and women are wired differently no matter what “work” we are doing like business or raising kids.

]]> By: Becki http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7754 Becki Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:35:34 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7754 I do take it personally. I put a lot of time, energy and thought into my work and when something doesn't go right, it does bother me. But, at the end of the day it is business and you have to walk away from it, at least for enough time to take a step back and focus on something else for a bit. I do take it personally. I put a lot of time, energy and thought into my work and when something doesn’t go right, it does bother me. But, at the end of the day it is business and you have to walk away from it, at least for enough time to take a step back and focus on something else for a bit.

]]> By: Julie Lenzer Kirk http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7734 Julie Lenzer Kirk Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:26:43 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7734 I take my business personal to the extent that I put my all into it, but at the end of the day, it is just business. I found this to be a critical perspective when it came to negotiating. In the beginning of my company, I would take negotiations personally. "What - they don't TRUST me?" That wasn't it. It was about business. Even though I trusted a particular client, I still needed to put it in writing because the contract was with THE BUSINESS, not the person. I actually had a key client contact pass away unexpectedly at the age of 48 and THANK GOODNESS I had a good contract in place because he just wanted to go on trust and if we had, my business could have taken a nose dive when he died. I also found this critical when dealing with employees. I realized that employees (and partners, etc) will do what is best for them in the end. When I had a key employee resign, it took me a while to realize that it WASN'T ABOUT ME. I couldn't take it personally. It's a fine line! I take my business personal to the extent that I put my all into it, but at the end of the day, it is just business. I found this to be a critical perspective when it came to negotiating. In the beginning of my company, I would take negotiations personally.

“What - they don’t TRUST me?”

That wasn’t it. It was about business. Even though I trusted a particular client, I still needed to put it in writing because the contract was with THE BUSINESS, not the person. I actually had a key client contact pass away unexpectedly at the age of 48 and THANK GOODNESS I had a good contract in place because he just wanted to go on trust and if we had, my business could have taken a nose dive when he died.

I also found this critical when dealing with employees. I realized that employees (and partners, etc) will do what is best for them in the end. When I had a key employee resign, it took me a while to realize that it WASN’T ABOUT ME. I couldn’t take it personally.

It’s a fine line!

]]> By: Sister Honey Bunch http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7732 Sister Honey Bunch Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:09:22 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2008/01/21/business-is-personal-and-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-lying/#comment-7732 I think it's a double edged sword. We take it more personally and strive harder to achieve the results, make clients happy, satisfy bosses etc. We want everyone to just be content. On the other hand, we do find it harder to let it go when we leave the office. It bleeds into the rest of our lives and can tend to overtake it. Instead of focusing on our families, we are obsessing about the client who wasn't happy with the proposal, or the boss who isn't happy with your numbers this month. It's hard to let it go. Now I'm depressed. I think it’s a double edged sword. We take it more personally and strive harder to achieve the results, make clients happy, satisfy bosses etc. We want everyone to just be content. On the other hand, we do find it harder to let it go when we leave the office. It bleeds into the rest of our lives and can tend to overtake it. Instead of focusing on our families, we are obsessing about the client who wasn’t happy with the proposal, or the boss who isn’t happy with your numbers this month. It’s hard to let it go. Now I’m depressed.

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