Saturday, September 27, 2008

What Is Your Business Parenting Style?

I published a tips article titled "When Your Business is Your Baby" to help women develop a professional mindset to match any parenting guide. I myself have been known to say I have three children; Hayden, Will and Divinitatis Consulting.

As our babies grow we can resist change or embrace it. Ladies, embrace it! The question is how do you respond to your growing and changing business? Your answer defines just what kind of parent you are.

One of my clients has a product that just isn't selling at the speed she expected. She put her heart and soul into the development of this product and it's fabulous. Unfortunately it is collecting dust as she waits for something to happen. This passive approach to parenting isn't working. If she grabbed a parenting book and looked up teenage behaviors? What do you think she might read?

When kids reach their teens some parents tend to take a back seat to guidance. They have the impression that since they have developed an independent child, its time to back off. Wrong. Passive parents will find themselves frustrated because their child just hangs out all day. Now is the time to teach them new skills: Focus and Direction. Help them develop goals and create opportunities for them to succeed.

If she sits back now her product will continue to just hang out. No product, no matter how great, sells itself. Nor should a teenager be expected to raise himself. She needs to transition from frustrated passive parent to active parent. She can decide and define exactly where she wants her product to go (your business wont backtalk). She can actively create opportunities for her product to fly off the shelves. As an entrepreneur she needs to transition from product developer to marketer. Until her product is out of her hands her job is not done.

Whether or not our job as parents is ever done - well... our roles may change in life but we'll never forget our baby.