Politicians Are Teaching Us How NOT To Navigate The Downturn
We can all learn a lot from this current debt ceiling crisis in our government. It applies to the running of any business and thus there is much we can gain from this scenario.
Our leaders are all leading from emotion, with their ego, filled with righteous indignation, certain they are right and everyone else is wrong. Wow. That doesn’t work, it’s called being unsupportable. When one makes decisions based on emotion, the decisions are certain to be wrong. There is no room for emotion in business decision-making.
In a small business environment we would ask for advice and counsel from trusted advisers to figure out what’s best for the company – not what’s best for any individual or sub-group, but what’s best for the company on the whole. Decisions should be based on the circumstances, not our emotions. No one in government is doing this. They are resorting to bickering, walking out of negotiations and thinking only of their own requirements and self-interests, not what is best for the country. They are willing to compromise the greater good rather than doing the right thing, whatever that may be. Each side gives up as little as they can and gets as much as they can. This would never work in your business. It makes no sense and results in a worst-case decision. They must figure out what the right thing is and do it.
Holding out to the last possible minute, allowing the pressure of the moment to force decisions, bluffing your opponents, figuring you will force the compromise that works best for you… this is such a ridiculous posture, with personal gain being the only goal. Never would this behavior be considered in a business environment. Never. Such a strategy would be considered absurd and would never be implemented within a business. The funny thing is, everyone who is watching is disgusted. Everyone who is watching understands how absurd our politicians are acting, everyone but them. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
And, by the way, any small business owner knows you can’t solve debt problems with more borrowing – it always comes back to haunt you. This is how not to successfully navigate the downturn.
