It almost always defines business and most often credited as reason for existence of many a businesses - Passion. However, businesses are far from addressing it for gains & their own sustainability (beyond an inane line on it) - by harnessing the "soul" that is supposed to be!
Instead, we always hear the glory of its uncertainty in much the same way as Heisenberg's principle... you can feel it and see its effect.. but you cannot grasp it!
But, why? Are we confused or are we taking an easy excuse to not catch it adequately?
(Defining 'passion' is not going to be the agenda of this article!)
Many a professionals would commonly go for the conventional hype and the cliche! This is the classic trite which is characterised by hackneyed expressions of 'passion'...
Hoping to throw the much misused word & thinking it will stick, for whatever it might mean to each person!
And then, there is the breed of businesspersons using this to assume some sort of an expression of license to what would otherwise have been unacceptable! It is also in rampant usage while trying to find differentiation or to justify a certain value, usually with no credible or meaningful outcome/results from it!
'Passion' as a belief is what we hold store for. But, like everything else - if it is not embraced and if the focus is not on the fruits of such a belief - it does not go beyond the rhetoric and is rendered futile for any consumption!
So, here is a 3 point plan for putting 'passion' to good use :
Identify the distinct value this 'passion' has added to your offering and how this will particularly benefit your customer. What is that thing - over and above/beyond the normal business expectation, which this 'passion' has specifically brought-in to help the customer? Has it raised the expectations of your customer in how they see the need?
Measure the tangible impact of 'passion' in your business... ahem! that's not really so difficult or fantastic, as it sounds... get someone to hold the mirror to you or you should be asking the hard questions and be ready to face the consequences.
Prepare the ecosystem to connect with this 'passion'. Does it spawn focus & investment into that purpose which otherwise would be a burden to undertake? Ready yourself for the consequences of 'passion' to overcome the steadiness of your operations.. conflict and divergence are often bellwethers of this which may very well be the origin of new businesses!
And, you don't have to always attempt to hop onto the bandwagon of 'passion' if it is not in the making of your business... That's like forcing yourself to make a 'cool' comment about the taste of beer, in your high school or early college years!
SBS Dimensions - India