Running Your Business on Emotions Vs Values
Are you running your business on emotions? Do you feel a personal heartache when a potential client doesn’t sign up or when someone criticises what you do? Does your self-worth hinge on the digits in your bank account? Are emotional reactions your go-to response when things don’t go as planned in your business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. Many people, especially entrepreneurs and sole traders, allow their emotions to steer the ship in their business decisions, and the results can be both draining and ineffective.
The Pitfall of Emotional Decision-Making
Allow me to illustrate the downside of running a business primarily on emotions with a scenario:
Imagine you’re the owner of a small holistic counselling and coaching business. You’ve been working tirelessly to grow your clientele and build a positive reputation in your community. One day, you receive an email from a potential client who inquires about your services. Excitement surges within you, and you anticipate this new client as a major breakthrough for your business.
However, a few days later, that potential client informs you that they’ve decided to seek help elsewhere. This news feels like a personal blow. You start questioning your worth, expertise, and whether you’re cut out for this industry. Emotions like self-doubt, frustration, and disappointment begin to cloud your judgment. You may even consider lowering your prices, changing your services, or giving up altogether.
In this scenario, emotions have taken the wheel. The disappointment of one potential client’s decision has led to a series of emotional reactions that cloud your judgment. You’re now making decisions from a place of fear, insecurity, and self-doubt, rather than a place of clarity and alignment with your values.
The Power of Values-Driven Business
Now, consider the alternative approach: running your business based on your core values. By aligning your business with your values, you would respond differently to this scenario. You would understand that not every potential client will be the right fit, and you would maintain your self-worth and confidence regardless of the outcome.
For our business, some of our highest values include integrity, trust, compassion, growth, and community. These values are the compass that guides our decisions. By making choices aligned with these values, we ensure that our business remains true to its vision, and we stay authentic to who we are.
Discovering Your Core Values
So, what values do you hold? How did they become the cornerstone of your entrepreneurial journey? Identifying and embracing your core values is a pivotal step in shifting from an emotional business model to a values-driven one. Once you’ve pinpointed your values, you can release the need for external validation, the worry about whether people like you or not, or whether you’re “good enough.”
With values as your North Star, you can focus on growing, expanding, and becoming the best version of yourself while staying aligned with what truly matters to you. Embrace your values and let them guide your business. It’s not about suppressing emotions; it’s about making decisions that resonate with your core principles and contribute to your business’s growth and success.
A Cautionary Tale
Let’s take a closer look at the scenario from earlier to highlight the negative impact of emotional decision-making. After that potential client chose to seek help elsewhere, you decided to lower your prices in an attempt to attract more clients quickly. This decision not only devalues your services but can lead to burnout as you’re working harder for less income. Moreover, it could potentially attract clients who are not a good fit for your services, causing further frustration and emotional turmoil.
Now, imagine a different approach. You’ve discovered your core values, including integrity and trust. In this scenario, when the potential client decided to go elsewhere, you would have maintained the integrity of your services and the trust in your expertise. Instead of lowering your prices, you might have used this as an opportunity to review and improve your offerings. Perhaps you would have reached out to the client for feedback to learn how to better meet their needs.
By choosing the values-driven path, you not only preserve your self-worth and confidence, but you also create a stronger, more authentic business model that attracts the right clients and promotes long-term growth.
In Closing
Running your business on emotions can be a rollercoaster ride that leaves you feeling exhausted and uncertain. Instead, pivot towards a values-driven approach, where your decisions are anchored in the principles that matter most to you. Ask yourself: What values drive your business, and how can you integrate them more fully into your decision-making process? With this shift, you’ll find the strength, clarity, and consistency to navigate the entrepreneurial journey, allowing you to be your best self while staying true to what truly matters.
🌿 I Frid, Madelaine