If you can't work with the one you love...

I wrote a letter to Fast Company Magazine, and published it here, regarding it's "Courage" issue. They had all kinds of articles and examples of courage in the world of business and of course I both objected and gave my two cents, letting you all in on the whole process. (isn't blogging voyeurlicious) Anyway, thinking about "business courage" last night and today reminded me of the concept of "business love" and the book "Love is the Killer App" by Tim Sanders. This is a good business book and even better in audio format. It can be a little cheesy, in the "your dad trying to be hip" kind of way, but over all, I dig it. (Dad! You said 'dig'! How lame!!) Sanders ends up repeating the mantra "nice smart people succeed." How can you argue with that! I want to believe it, even when I don't.

This whole thing reminded me of my objections to Sanders' comments on "business love". I believe most of what he says is very true and very effective, but one thing kept ringing in my mind. (must be my theological past) That was the question, "What does business love have to do with real love?" He tells us all kinds of stuff and uses all kinds of quotes about love, but never puts together love in the business sense and the love praised by Plato, Aristotle, Christ, St. Francis, and Mother Theresa.

Now, I can't slight Mr. Sanders. He had a best selling business book, was core to some influential start-ups, and now has a cool job at Yahoo.com. (bet he wishes it was Google) I am some guy, running a fledgling coffee company, and working (once again) on a degree in the Great Books of Western Civilization. I give. He wins. But the question remains- "What would a business look like if you ran it by real love?"

Love? I won't even take a shot at a Platonic catch-all definition of love, but I will take a shot at what it means to love someone. It means you truly desire the real objective good for that person and you are willing to act on that desire. Think of what that might mean for your business. If you truly, really, honestly desired the real good for people involved in your business and you sat down to give the same type of advice you give a friend, what would that look like? Would you tell them to keep working for you? Would you be able to honestly say they should continue doing business with you over your competitor? Would you really be able to tell them to buy your product, at full retail price, and incorporate it into their life? Do these questions change anything?

I don't have any easy answers for this and I understand that some of it is not black and white, but I am, however, going to take a shot at developing these questions philosophically. I do try to build my business along these lines. In short, this supposed change in relationship between human beings the minute they start exchanging money is a false dichotomy. It is easy to point to big companies and rich CEO bastards, but what would this challenge mean in your world, in your business? This will, no doubt, become a theme around here as I am going to write a thesis on it, but let's talk about it. If you loved your employees, suppliers, and customers/clients the way you love your family and friends, would that change anything?

This is an open dialogue and I welcome any and all comments on the matter. I am going to write on this for an academic thesis, but it is much more important than some mere academic work that helps get me a sheepskin. Heck, maybe I'll expand it into a book, it'll become a best seller, and I'll end up in Fast Company with a giant cardboard heart like Tim. Who, by the way, I didn't mean to take any shots at. I suggest you check out his book. Here is a link.

"Love is patient, love is kind" and it is bigger than the bottom line. Amen.


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I wrote this letter to Fast Company re: their September "Courage" issue and thought you all might get a kick out of it.

Dear Fast Company,

As I read through the September issue of Fast Company I was shocked by the picture of courage I found there. Well, not so much by the picture there, but by the part that was missing- that of the small business. The likes of Google, Tyco, and ImClone were all there. The boardroom, the army, the 9.11 commission- all there. What of the wiping of the counter, the sweeping of the sidewalk, the stocking of the shelves, or the making of the double short cappuccino? Not to mention, the juggling of the operating capital, the calling of the creditors, and the checking of the lost shipment on the cell phone on the way to the store to get more milk. This is the courage shown by an army of mom and pop businesses every day and I would propose the bulk of business courage is of this kind. It would seem that "How Smart People Work" is to work for big corporations and that is where all the business courage goes down as well. I love FC and learn from every issue, but to adapt a Dr. Seuss quotation, "Courage is courage, no matter how small."

Andrew M. Whaley
Chief Espresso Evangelist
Coffeeboy
Ventura, CA
coffeeboy@coffeeboy.net

Get your "Mind Like Water" here!

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