Taekwondo for Business

In our last post we discussed the five chief tenets of Taekwondo:  courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and the indomitable spirit.  The application of these principles to our daily lives yields many rewards.  Let's examine how these five traits can help you in your daily work environment.

Courtesy
How many times have you been in line at the store and the person behind the checkout counter seemed less than enthused to assist you?  Did that experience make you inclined to return to that store?  Or, the next time you went shopping for a similar item, did you go to a different business?  The simplest things, such as a smile, friendly greeting, and prompt service can make the difference in keeping customers or losing them. 

Whether you are a cashier at the grocery store, an accountant visiting with a client, or a manager dealing with a customer complaint, an emphasis on being courteous will not only make your workday more pleasant, it will also keep your customers returning.

Integrity
Integrity is more than just refraining from lying or cheating.  In the business world, integrity also includes completing projects on time, following through with customer requests, and delivering the service you have promised your customers.  How many times have you had a project that was delayed because someone did not complete their required portion on schedule?  I'm sure you can recall the frustration, especially if others were waiting on you.  Integrity is about keeping your commitments as well as your word.  Consistently failing to display this important trait will begin to erode customer loyalty and have a direct impact on your company's bottom line.

Perseverance
Every business faces challenges.  Acquiring start-up capital, gaining customers or clients, retaining your customers, creating effective internal controls and policies, and managing personnel are just a few of the issues business owners and managers face on a daily basis.  The question is not "How do I avoid these problems?"  Some issues cannot be avoided.  Rather the question should be, "How will I face these challenges when they come?"

In our school creed, we talk about doing so with "confidence, determination, and fearlessness."  Confidence comes from experience.  In the martial arts realm, it is a result of consistent training.  In the business world it comes from your own knowledge base you have gained over time.  Determination and fearlessness are both choices that we must make.  Choosing to move past the difficulty and not letting current fears or concerns prevent us from accomplishing our goals.

Self-Control
Perhaps the most difficult challenge we often face is not controlling others, but ourselves.  Again, this isn't just about self-discipline (doing what you should when you should), but also about remaining in control when times are very stressful. 

I discussed this with a group of students just recently.  How many times have you let a co-worker, subordinate, or customer get completely under your skin and drive you crazy?  Every time we allow someone to push us in such a direction, we have given them power over us.  Controlling our emotions, checking our pride, and remaining calm when others are losing control gives you the ability to see through the fog and understand the real issues that need to be addressed.  It also gives you the power to create solutions to those challenges.

Indomitable Spirit
There's a scene in the movie The Last Samurai that is a classical illustration of this principle.  During the scene, Tom Cruise's character is being beaten by a Samurai warrior.  Although it is clear he cannot win the fight, he continues to struggle.  It's not so much as an attempt to win physically, as to demonstrate that his will cannot be broken.  This is the essence of the indomitable spirit - not giving up.  Successful businesses from fast food chains to sports franchises and many more have survived because the owner simply refused to give up. 

I challenge you to focus on just one of these principles during the next ten days.  Make a conscious effort to consistently apply it in every aspect of your business.  And see if it doesn't make a significant difference both in your operations but also in your bottom line.