Change To This New Metaphor

At this end of the year, I hope you bring back peace.

Because look around, bringing people together has never been more critical.

But for peace to be here, you will first need to demilitarize your narrative.

And you’ve got a big job.

Because so far, business is war:

You’re the “chief”.

You gave your team your “marching orders”.

Their “battlefield” is your market.

You’ve “targeted to capture” a thousand new customers.

And the objective is to “destroy the competition”.

To do so, Marketing put together a “campaign”.

So, you sent your “sales force” to a “boot camp”.

You built a “moat”.

And you figured out your “beachhead”.

I mean, for instance, who wants to be a target?

If you’re targeting customers, rest assured you are somebody’s target too.

Beware of this: rather than only reflecting reality, language creates it.

That’s what a strategic narrative does, and the danger is to live by a toxic one.

I doubt the “business is war” metaphor will ever disappear. It is too engaging for the human brain to forget it.

But business is not solely a win-lose battle.

Because business success is also kindness:

Your company thrives in an “ecosystem”.

Your business is more to “make a living”, not a killing.

You grow thanks to “fellowship”.

And it would be best if you advocated for ” allyship”.

Your role is to “align people” with a common purpose

Customers want to connect with the “vulnerable and authentic” you.

You create value for “all stakeholders”, not just shareholders.

So, create a “blue ocean”, where “competition is irrelevant”.

And you will create internal and external “true believers”.

Now is the time for this new metaphor.

Happy Holidays. Bring back peace.