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I’ll never forget the first time I visited a friend of my Mothers during a Thanksgiving Dinner. Mom had already told me that the food was going to be really good and I trusted my Mother’s culinary palette as she was a Texas woman who could throw down in the kitchen. She made the best pies from scratch (Pecan, Lemon Meringue , Sweet Potato) and her brisket and pot roast should have been featured on the most popular cooking shows back then and today.
When we pulled up to the house, I immediately smelled the food and my nose confirmed my Mother’s statement. I was so happy and rushed to get out of the car to head to where they were serving the food but before I could get to the door, a man swiped me off my feet and returned me back to the car and started to tell my mom something which I didn’t understand. Suddenly, I heard the most upsetting sounds coming from inside the house which scared me.
Shouts and insults being hurled from who and who too I don’t know but I knew that something negative of a major significance had occurred and my mother told me to get back into the car and we left. Just like that, we had arrived and departed within a 5 minute span.
Mom didn’t say much except that the family was having some issues and couldn’t have guests today. While she explained, her voice was quivering and she began to cry.
Two major things happened that day with that experience that made a lasting impression on me.
Although we were’t family, my mother felt deeply for the family and the trouble they were having which made me understand the power of being genuinely connected to people.
No matter how lovely the aroma, well prepared and delicious food is, the negative atmosphere from the people surrounding it prevented them and us (their guest) from enjoying it.
Our own negativity or that coming from our board members, partners or employees can stop people from coming to enjoy what we have to offer no matter how good it is.
I can’t tell you how many business owners tell me about their frustrations at not being able to get the results they want no matter how many business market analyses they conduct , follow all the best practices or try to stay relevant. Nothing seems to work. I often roam around the business and observe the positive and negative vibes coming from the people in the building or in their staff or board meetings.
I can tell you that when a company has done all they can to be the best and there’s no improvement, nine times out of ten, negativity is at the source. It sucks the life out of the air, out of creativity, out of internal morale and public relations.
What can you do to change this? Start with your own negative mindset by embarking on a journey of discovery of what has angered, disappointed, hurt you over the years and work on receiving the necessary healing for you to move forward. Maybe you’ve been working on having a successful business owner for a long time without taking time for yourself to get rejuvenated. Maybe you are currently having a major life crisis (Divorce, person or family illness) and your emotions are all over the place.
Whichever of these scenarios, I encourage you to take steps to move towards a positive place and then you can begin to approach your business impact on its employees and your desired customers so they will not just enjoy your products or services but they’ll enjoy the people who provided it. When the leader exhibits genuine positivity, it trickles down to all who are connected to you.
As a business owner, we do our best to create and deliver the best products and services yet there is an element we often forget about.
Letra Davis
Letra Davis is a conative vision building entrepreneur and has been a champion of engaging leaders and everyday people in multiple sectors to live uniquely, authentically and passionately for many years. She’s a playwright, songwriter/arranger, vocal trainer, musician and artist. She’s also an inspirational content creator with LeLe’s Chronicles. She’s a forensics original orator and conference speaker.
When she’s not helping companies improve their work talent and increase revenue, she a foodie, movie buff and a true Trekkie and enjoys traveling and nature hikes.
Follow Letra on Instagram, FaceBook, Telegram, LinkedIn or contact at Letra@lelesconsultingsolutions.com
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