Understand how revisiting processes and certainties can be the key to opening new paths in business or in life.
Could the secret to success be impermanence?
December has finally arrived, that symbolic month when everything in every area of life is revisited. Of course, it is hard not to think about the goals we've achieved and the outlook for what we want in the future. Where do I want to be? What victories have I won? But if things went well, if the results were good or at least satisfactory, the answer that springs to mind is simple: just keep using this formula for the next year and everything will go well.
Anicca is one of the essential concepts used to describe the universe according to Buddhist philosophy. Understanding the constant mutations of what surrounds us, of every phenomenon in nature, is intrinsically part of this foundation, as it is a path to liberation from attachment to what we think we know.
And what does Buddhism have to do with business?
Understanding the concept of impermanence (Anicca) means knowing that if everything is in motion and mutation, you cannot cling to the same ready-made answers. Regardless of your religion or belief, one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same again.
Reinventing yourself, reviewing processes, and improving what you already do well are just a few ways to exercise this wisdom. Doing the same things and expecting different results may be madness, but doing the same things and expecting all scenarios and circumstances to remain the same is also madness. The world transforms politically, socially, economically, geologically… and the market also keeps pace with every one of these changes.
Learning from these transformations every day will only be difficult if there is no room for error. In a constant learning environment, missteps are bound to happen—by you and your team. And there needs to be genuine space for innovation, where taking risks to try something new is encouraged and process changes can actually happen. People who are afraid don't take risks, and without risk there is no growth. Do you feel that blame is still cultivated in your company's culture?
Of course, just because we are talking about improvements and progress doesn't mean that everything done previously needs to be thrown away. With that in mind, creating a workflow that can measure these gaps and areas for improvement is ideal for understanding where and how it is safe to move forward. This can be done by inserting key reflective questions at the end of delivering an important project, or within the workflow itself: "What do you think worked really well in this project?", "Which points need to be refined?", "Could this have been done differently?"
Here at ABM, we carry out an internal and external process review every month. Internally, Monthly Learning is a time for employees to present perspectives and reflections on different areas of the company and their personal lives. As for each client, through meetings and reports, every month we seek to evaluate what is or isn't working and point out practical suggestions for improvement.
Another effective strategy is to be open to feedback and encourage it on a daily basis. By creating safe spaces, you can learn from different perspectives what needs investment and improvement, and what is already on the right track. This feedback can also be applied to anything from small tasks to major projects.
Whether in personal life or at work, building solid, lasting, and valuable relationships demands love, effort, and self-transformation. Not only that: it also requires the patience and humility to understand that we are small and still have so much to learn.
