Becoming the Change Maker

 According to "What's a Business For?" by Charles Handy, in spite of the government's efforts to improve the economy, most people do not perceive its relevance.  Our financial security cannot be guaranteed by the government. 

Businesses nowadays are generally viewed as profit-making enterprises.  It is believed by them that businesses exist to make more money than to benefit people.  If we change the system by creating a business image that people can trust, the economy will be better.  To be able to do that, we must live with integrity. We must think of the consumer’s benefit and plan better remuneration for employees. Doing this will develop care within the business and those surrounding it.  The consumers will support businesses with virtue and integrity.  Their trust will build a stronger and more abundant economy.

Charles Handy said, “I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our being. As we investigate this, we inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase that sounds trite but is fundamental.”

Based on what he said, businesses exist so they can contribute to society.  Therefore, as we think of products or services we offer to the public, we must ponder if those are great contributions to society.  Does it help the people?  Is it safe?  Is it quality?  As we answer those questions and many other questions, we can think of better ways how to manage our business and make it more beneficial to society.

Out of the many things Charles said, here are two solutions businesses can do:

First, The Hippocrates Oath, "Do NO Harm," will help restore the trust of the people in businesses.  It includes environmental issues, employees working conditions, community relations, and ethics. Doing no harm is never wrong.  It is simply caring for the welfare of others. 

Second, we need to associate with a cause in order to give purpose to our lives…  We should, as charitable organizations do, measure success in terms of outcomes for others as well as for ourselves.  This will help businesses have another vision, another reason to be diligent and persist in succeeding. A very compelling reason to serve humanity.

I am better able to recognize my own vision as a result of pondering these things.  It's my wish for my family, employees, community, and those in need of rescue to live in a better place.  I pray that God will help me create miracles for myself and for others through my business career.

In closing, let me share a thought from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

Measuring the Cost

I do not want to live a life with regrets...  I do not like to ask myself someday, "What if?"  Corey Bell's wife, was right when she said, 

I got no time for hesitations right now.  I am not perfectly confident but I really needed to try. My family, the company employees, and those who will still be recipients of blessings are my inspirations to work harder.  As a result, I attend more seminars/training to learn and attend gatherings for networking.  This will make better product development and will increase sales opportunities.  I just need to try... try... and try...

The money I have and will have is not mine.  I am only a God's steward.  Therefore, I need to make sure that the money I have is multiplied so that more people will be blessed.  Desiring to obtain money by working hard is not evil.  The love for money is evil for its fruits are destructive.

In the beginning, it's easier not to try to succeed.  The road to success is long and rocky.  There's a Filipino Story passed from generation about a man named "Juan Tamad."  He will be lying under a fruit tree with his mouth wide open, just waiting for the fruit to drop into his mouth. Parents usually tell this story to their children to teach them against laziness.  Being too comfortable waiting made it difficult to realize that it's easier to stand and just pick up the fruit to partake it.   I do not want to wait for opportunities like "Juan Tamad."  I choose to open and make more opportunities with the guidance of God.  If  I continue opening more opportunities, more money will flow in the business... there will be more employees hired... more families will be blessed.

Another fallacy I see while growing up is the belief that it is righteous to be poor and wicked or greedy to be rich.  

Steven W. Gibson said:

It is not wicked to be richer than who you are yesterday.  It is called working hard.  It is called growth.  I am glad that many church materials about self-reliance are now available online to teach people about financial intelligence in the Lord's way.  If only people will take advantage of studying the self-reliance courses, more people will be more productive.  Providence will be guaranteed. 

Lastly, If I want to prosper, I can follow Gibson's 6 rules:

I am looking forward to exploring and practicing the 25 rules of thumb of the Academy of Creating Entrepreneurs.

Dream Big Dreams!

Do I have big dreams? Or am I too ambitious? I know God knows my heart and I know He knows why I strive for what I want to achieve. I sometimes doubt myself, especially when I feel that those people significant to me do not support what I am doing... But to be able to reach my dreams, I need to beat the odds and move forward. Learn the things I need to learn.  

Elder Dallin H. Oaks told a parable of a father and son in his talk entitled, "The Challenge to Become." The Father can give all that he has to the son but instead, he said, he will give the laws and the principles by which he had acquired his wisdom and stature. I think that is better. The son will treasure what he has more because he worked for it. And he can gain more even after losing it if he knows the secret of how to succeed in whatever he does.

He then added...

What a wonderful father... The statement has both spiritual and temporal meanings for me. As Jesus Christ experienced it all, we also need to experience some hardships in life, overcome them, and with grace can return to Heavenly Father. We can never do it how Jesus did it perfectly but we can do our best to endure life joyfully.  Then we can be like him.  His partners in spreading kindness and truth to the world.  For the meaning of the statement temporally, I cannot simply succeed without working hard. I know I need to learn more, even the skills needed in the business so I can understand the workers better.  Only then He can entrust me with more temporal blessings.

Here's a video of what I tried to learn this week.

This helped me understand not only the terminologies of woodworking but also the machines and blade characteristics. It also helped me how to improve our production area. I now understand the reasons for misunderstandings between the carpenter and the painter.  And I understand how this can be avoided in the workplace by changing simple things.

I am happy I was able to learn how to apply some of the principles I am learning in my life.  For sure the book we are required to read will again teach me a lot of things.

Disciple Leadership in Business

     Isn't it wonderful that 'disciple leadership" is possible in business?  Whenever I talk to someone, I always tell them to enroll in BYU Pathway!  To increase secular and spiritual knowledge, I encourage them to study certificate courses in BYU Idaho or Ensign College online courses even if they already had their bachelor's degree.  I believe that if I can influence more people to commit to lifelong learning through Pathway Worldwide, all relationships and institutions will drastically improve even in their homes. It is because each student will learn how to be a "disciple leader." 

    I think it is impossible for a company to NOT succeed if the leader leads like Jesus.  With faith, I will do my best to be the company owner with a small "L."

    This week, I learned how to better manage the company and better manage myself as one of the leaders.  Staff selection is crucial.  The best person should be selected to have a great team.

    Before I opened the modules, I spoke to my husband/business partner that we need to hire staff that will help us in sales, furniture designs, etc.  I am really glad that the videos and articles I am required to read were like talking to me and mentoring me on how to do it.  "People like Rowan, attract more people like Rowan."  I hope I can find my "Rowans" as I also become one.  

Jim Collins' statement even confirmed my thoughts when he mentioned hiring the right people.

    May I be guided, as I meticulously search for the right people and keep them.  Right now, I am on my search for the right people.  I am already making plans on how to make them stay.  I know skilled people with great minds will only stay with great offers.  The article, "A Message to Garcia, Will You Deliver It?" mentioned most of the things I need to do to select staff, and how to handle and keep staff.  It was actually my perfect guide.  I had taken notes in my learning journal so I can always refer to it if needed.

    I need more courage to make my vision into reality.  I pray every day that I can be more organized with my daily tasks.  I had been loaded with multiple tasks the past weeks after the trade fair.  In the same article, something was said about Courage...

    I will face my Goliaths!  That is the only key to the doors of opportunities that will bless my life and the life of others.  I know God is with me in this.  I am looking forward to learning more about the things I need to make miracles in the business world.  Jim Richie has Elder David B. Haight and the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith as his mentors.  My community has no network such as that.  It's one of the reasons I need to push myself more.  As I become "Rowan" in my field, I can attract more "Rowan" or empower more people to be like "Rowan" which will bless the next generation with mentors like "Rowan," Elder David B. Haight, and Hyrum Smith.  I am looking forward to learning the process through reading and feasting on the study materials.