WHILE MY BUSINESS SCHOOL experience was certainly one of the most enriching, I have realised over time that life is a bigger teacher. My experiences, personal and professional, the people I have met from different walks of life as well as all the reading that I have done over the years have probably taught me more about business than my B-school education.Here are some of the things that I have learned over the years that help me with my everyday journey.
Think win-win: I believe that essentially people have two types of mindsets — one, of scarcity, and the other, of abundance. When you look at something from the first perspective you are playing a win-lose game, which always hurts in the long term. You may win a couple of deals but sooner or later the person who has lost will resent you. But if you look at things from the second viewpoint, you can build more lasting relationships. Win-win requires that you put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Understand before being understood: I read in a book once that being understood is a basic need of every human being. It is akin to the oxygen one needs to breathe to live. Therefore, when you simply start talking without understanding another person, it is like taking away that person’s oxygen. Much of business success depends on effective communication between teams and consequently having the ability to be understood.
Begin with the end: To begin with the end is to start with a clear idea of the goal. Once that is clear, you will have a better idea of the steps you need to take to get to that destination. Imagine the kind of house you would end up with if you started building it without a visual representation of what it should eventually look like. The same rules should apply in business. All too often I find people struggling with seemingly simple tasks — more often than not, they are not clear about what they are trying to achieve or somewhere along the track they lose perspective of their goals.
Build credibility: Real trust comes from developing a sincere interest in others and being committed to them. It comes from making only those promises that you can keep, even in adverse conditions. Life, especially in business, moves in circles rather than a straight line. You will meet the same people again, you will be faced with similar situations more than once, and you will be tested again and again. What will ultimately matter is your conduct and your final actions. People tend to trust people who have build credibility by doing the right things.
Anupam G Mittal graduated from Boston College in 1996
