You may know of people who seem to always have someone or something to blame for their circumstances or problems. Those same people are likely to be quite negative about life in general, seeing situations from a ‘glass half empty’ perspective.
In business, this is an especially detrimental attitude to have. It is a path to nowhere. Blaming staff, partners, or external factors on the lack of success in your business means you are not taking responsibility. Although it can be tempting, and even perhaps seem logical, to blame others, what you are doing is subconsciously affirming that you are not accountable for what happens in your business.
A better way to operate is to take responsibility for whatever happens in your business: the good and the bad. Constructively ask “How can we do this better in the future?” and “How can we correct this?”. You will always find an action you can take to make a situation better for the future. Learn from negative experiences and use them to build in safe guards and move forward.
Even worse than ‘passing the back’ is ‘playing the victim’. You might hear a victim say something like “I wanted to launch my new business idea but the economy wasn’t good”. Conversely, successful business women aim for what they want, regardless of the economy, resources or other factors. They don’t use external circumstances as an excuse to stall an idea.
It is important to remember that you are the person steering your business. And only you can decide how, and if, to move forward. There will always be circumstances beyond your control but it is up to you whether they determine your success. Accept right now ‘what is’, and then proactively take actions that may improve or change what ‘could be’. There are no guarantees for success. But I can guarantee that if you do nothing, nothing will change. And really, what have you got to lose? If you are in a negative situation, the best course of action is to turn it into a positive action.
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender
