It was Saturday night and arriving home late with dinner, my eyes clapped on a goodbye scene. My neighbors were bidding adieu to their guests and lost in conversations that failed to find a full stop. It was such a wonderful scene to be able to witness.
I thought about the power of these precious moments, but also the power of a goodbye.
I recently made the decision to move away from a 20-year career within corporate America. With the excitement of a young adult leaving for college, this moment was also about saying goodbye to a chapter of my life. I thought about the effect these goodbyes will have on my future mindset. How do I want to not only preserve the connection strengths but solidify what the future will be.
These people are so very dear to me I have taken the time to make those conversations positive, personal and connecting.
Goodbyes have secret superpowers, if executed correctly your goodbye conversations can leave a lasting impression.
- IMPACT
- set the stage for the next meeting
- deepen a superficial relationship
Goodbyes can also be a valuable message of
- closure
- forgiveness
- gratitude
Business Life
In my research and over the years I have spoken to unnumerable small business owners and there seem to be three types. These are categorizations I like to use based on the center of their passion.
Ex Corporate – (Retired, Change of Life, experienced in business) Wants to take what they have learned in the corporate world and use the skills to pave their new destiny.
A business owner I recently interviewed purchased the business as an investment. She adored the little cluster of beauty salons. As an owner and not an operator the motivators for making the salons profitable was tied to her ability to ultimately be independent. How much independence does she really want? What is her timeframe? Are her current processes sustainable and repeatable?
As this business owner had a strong business management background but have lack of ad or traditional marketing experience. As that was the case, I found she was struggling with time management and or wasted time trying stuff that didn’t reach her target audience. Many business owners have a firm grasp of the concept and just need a little help to put the pieces together.
Craftsman – (Hobbyist turned master, not usually experienced in business) Has an amazing gift they want to share with the world on their terms in their time. As a 11-time published author I have some experience in this category. When you have a passion for something, and you decide the give it go it is a leap of faith. These small business owners built their businesses, carefully curated every dollar earned.
Because the fuel that feeds the business is contained within a single source, this source becomes quickly depleted. Small Business owners in this category many times struggle with the ‘business side’ of the business. Their focus needs to be on exploration and discovery but are unable find a good working balance between the two.
Old School- (Family Passed, experienced in traditional business practices) it’s in the blood literally. These are family-owned businesses who have generations invested in the profits of their business.
If you ask about business process, you will get one of two responses. We’ve always done it that way or here is how its done and here is the family member’s name who handles it for us. Family run businesses have come along way, pieces of the extended family utilizing their individual skills to help in the family business. Many times, reigning everyone in and documenting processes is the first and most important place to start.
In any instance each business owner is unique, and I am so grateful for all of the wisdom they impart on me. I will continue to share my journey as I learn, create and participate in the growth and brilliance of all these amazing pioneers!