Business Macho vs. Seeking Support: Finding Balance

Seeking support isn't a sign of weakness—it's a strategy for success! Listen to our latest episode of The Water Trough as we dive into the benefits of asking for help in business. Let's redefine strength together. #SupportNetwork #BusinessAdvice #PodcastRecommendation

Transcript

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Welcome to The Water Trough, where we can't make you drink, but we will make you think. My name is Ed Drost of The Small Business Doctor, and I'm really excited you chose to join me here as we discuss topics that are important for small business folks just like you. If you're looking for ideas, inspiration, and possibility, you've come to the right place. Join us as we take steps to help you create the healthy business that you've always wanted.

Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1: 0:41

Welcome back to the water trough. This is Ed draws to the small business doctor for those of us who are in small business. We always knew that the day would come when we would face problems, challenges in our business. It goes without saying that business problems, challenges will happen. In the lifespan of any given business, we accept that as being part of the package,

Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-2: 1:04

It also goes without saying that each of us in small business, particularly owners, founders, and principals have developed a tremendous amount of pride in what we have put together. Being able to say that I built that business, I created that business is a privilege. It's exceptionally rewarding and it really is a personal thing. It's a sense of accomplishment. It's also a sense of fulfillment. And so when it comes to accepting the problems that we know we're going to face, we have two different paths that we can go down. On the one hand, some of us might choose to openly embrace the problems occur, and to actively seek out support, guidance, and assistance from our colleagues, from our employees. Our co founders, our social circle, or trusted professionals outside of the business. Each of these groups can support us in ways to get things done. In other words, having accepted the fact that problems are going to occur, We openly embrace the problems and we're okay with that. We had no disguised Expectation that this wouldn't happen. So therefore we're prepared to go forward and deal with it. When these things occur, there's a second group of people who, because of that aforementioned pride are demonstrating something I like to call business macho. Now by macho, I don't mean to say that these people are aloof. What I'm saying is that that pride is actually enveloping these people. In a sense of my accomplishment is too important for me to admit outwardly that I've got problems. It is something I don't want people to know. I don't want to show my weakness. And you can certainly relate to weakness and strength in this day and age. People shy away from expressing their weakness when in fact weakness is just simply accepting the fact of what is. But those who have this business macho view of things are far less inclined to seek support. These folks are apt to try to resolve things on their own. Now, maybe they can, or maybe they can't. I'd like to look at the two different camps and give you some things to think about.

Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-3: 3:39

Something as important as having a business, creating a business, deserves a lot of respect and consideration. I have, Limitations as to what I can and what I cannot do. I know that I have certain expertise and I know that I lack a considerable amount of expertise. I myself am a solopreneur. I only have myself in the business. I have no partners. I have no employees to look to for support, but I do recognize That it is easy enough for me to exhaust my own capabilities, and it's important for me to reach out to others, be they in a professional support role or. people that I know who have various kinds of qualifications and expertise, it's important for me to be able to reach out to other people. And I embrace the fact that because of my limitations, I am not able to do all things. When problems arise, I accept the fact that, well, there are things that I can do, and there are things that I cannot do. And I'm fine with that. I guess you could say that while I'm proud of my accomplishments, and I'm content with the fact that I've done what I have done, I'm also realistic about who I am and what is possible. That puts me in the position of being able to accept the guidance, the advice, the support of others. In fact, I actively seek those things. I am unafraid to ask for support, to ask for guidance, to ask for assistance when I need to. It is not, in my opinion, a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength, strength as in, I am well aware of who I am, what I'm capable of doing, and maybe more importantly, what the ramifications are of not simply being able to resolve the problem myself. For those that are enveloped in the business macho perspective, it's easy to be self consuming. There are problems that each of us can resolve that's great. And needless to say, no matter what path we've chosen here, we don't want to make a show of our failures, our shortcomings, um, of the problems that we face. We don't want to display them as if we're proud of the fact that we have problems. But for those who have a business macho perspective, the idea of putting these things out there as something. That they find particularly abhorrent. it's just simply inappropriate. Nobody should know what kind of problems I am facing in my business. And this sort of protectionism, keeping these things to oneself does a number of things. For one thing, It prevents us from being able to get the kind of support that is available to us. The opportunity to have perspectives other than our own is simply unavailable. when I wrap myself in this business macho perspective, what I'm doing is basically saying, not only that I don't want anybody else to know, But that there's nothing else out there to support me. And the amazing thing is there's a tremendous amount of support out there, but it's very easy. And I've had numerous clients who've been in this position. And I say that because after having determined that that business macho wasn't working for them, they then called upon a person like myself, the business coach, to support them. But the idea of trying to fix it on your own when you're not able to do so, when you're dragging out the reality that things are not getting better, that instead of putting out the fire, you're either throwing fuel on the fire or you're having flare ups in other locations. This is not a successful way to grow or sustain a business.

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I realize I've taken the liberty here of proposing that we do not follow the course of the business macho,. I prefer to be more inspiring, but I do hope that expressing both sides of the coin will in fact be inspiring for those of you who are in either camp, for those who feel ill at ease, but nonetheless accept and embrace your shortcomings. and are seeking help, don't feel bad. I think that you should appreciate the fact that you're getting the support that you need. And I trust you are taking the steps necessary with that guidance to remedy the problems that you face. On the other hand, if you are in the business macho camp, I hope you'll also recognize that it's nothing to be ashamed of. The amount of pride that we have as business owners, as business people is profound. And for some of us, it's really very difficult to conceive of the notion that we're having problems. We're still to let anybody else know that. it's a perfectly human construct to go down that path, but I do hope you'll consider if you're in that camp, that the ramifications are that you may be missing out on opportunity. To make things better. It's not a matter of weakness. It's rather a matter of strength. found through the recognition that there are limitations to what you can do, and that's perfectly fine. That is the way that we are. So I hope you'll take these things into consideration. Whether you are, in the camp of accepting and embracing and seeking guidance and help, or if you are in the camp of Feeling that that is not the path to go. Either path is perfectly normal, but do give consideration to the outcome. Really at the end of the day, no matter which path you choose, if you're able to work through those problems effectively, then that's fine, but give credence to both sides of the coin and don't shame yourself. No matter which side of the fence you're on, it really is a distraction from what Your true goals are, and that is to build and sustain your business. This is Ed Draws with a small business doctor. And until next time, I want to wish you a healthy business.