Nature's Eternal Laws

"Stay close to nature and its eternal laws will protect you."

A sailing friend who has battled cancer introduced me today to the alternative dietary therapy of Max Gerson. Here is a capsule of that philosophy, from his website.

"Throughout our lives our bodies are being filled with a variety of disease and cancer causing pollutants. These toxins reach us through the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medicines we take and the water we drink. 

 "With its whole-body approach to healing, the Gerson Therapy naturally reactivates your body's magnificent ability to heal itself - with no damaging side-effects. "

The Wiki post on Gerson indicates that "the therapy is considered scientifically unsupported and potentially hazardous, and has been blamed for the deaths of patients who substituted it for standard medical care. I have no way of knowing the efficacy of the Gerson Therapy, but my friend says it saved his life. 

What I find particularly interesting is this summary by Max Gerson, "Stay close to nature and its eternal laws will protect you."

What would it mean to "stay close to nature" in business? Are there natural, eternal laws in business? And, if there are, what effect would they have?

Clinical Trials Create Business Intelligence

My wife is participating in a clinical trial. Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Harvard are behind it, so you can guess that it is highly detailed and precise.

First, she had to qualify based on very narrow parameters. To proceed, she had to agree on protocols that determine what happens (what chemicals are used), when, and how often. Further, she had to consent to a variety of tests that would be conducted.

The clinical trial agreement identifies the purpose of the trial, its administration, the role and responsibilities of each party, and expectations. Above all, there are measurements upon measurements upon measurements. In other words, it is as quantitative as possible.

The end result will either support or invalidate the premise on which the trial is being conducted.

In business we'd call this research. All business research is not conducted with the same level of discipline (measurement and protocol) as this trial-but business should be if it is to be valid. The point is that acquiring business knowledge through research should be managed with the same level of discipline and seriousness as research that involves life issues for, in fact, the life of the business is at stake.

Ministry

I went with my wife to help her select a wig in anticipation of the effects of chemo. (She's cancer free now and on a clinical trial-more about clinicals in a later post.) Please understand that we were in a highly emotional state and could have been convinced to buy something that we might later regret. We were fortunate to have a recommendation. Ginny was an excellent sales person who guided us through the selection process. She gave us the time and guidance we needed. She also gave us hugs. She also told us of some competitors whose practices were cold and indifferent.

The end result was a wig that not only gave my wife confidence when in public, but also solicited some very nice compliments. "Your hair looks terrific" and "what great color" were some of comments, and these came from very observant individuals. (Collateral damage to her self image of her real hair styling and color is something we'll address at a later time.)

The point is that Ginny was more than a businesswoman. She was more than a salesperson. She was ministering to two vulnerable people.

I never expected it, and it made a big impression on me. It showed that, regardless of what we do, we can all be ministers. People are hurting, and some of the wealthiest are hurting the most. Yes, we can minister even in business.

Centers of Excellence

The words "Center of Excellence" speak volumes and provide an immediate sense of confidence. They also raise the bar on expectations.

I'll writing from a medical center of excellence and the delivery of services exceeds my already high expectations. The areas of evaluation include: medical competence, attention to detail, redundant services to avoid errors, the desire to answer questions regardless of how long the answer takes, a comfortable environment, and compassion. Even non-medical services receive high marks: clear, detailed answers to billing questions, concierge service, and a small kitchenette stocked with coffee "K" cups.

What does it take to create a business center of excellence?

The Annual Business Checkup

The annual checkup is an apt place to begin this blog. As with all doctor visits, mine started with filling out the forms that I've filled out many times in the past. (What's the status of imaging medical files?) I took particular notice of several items. The first was under the category of "Review of Systems." I haven't given much thought to my body as a network of systems before. But, of course, that's what I am made of-respiratory, vascular, and other systems. Each system can be separated for analysis and also examined as part of a whole.

Businesses, too, have systems. We're probably most familiar with accounting and operating systems. However, each function or department can be thought of as a system; HR, marketing, sales, and so on. Like body systems, business systems can be analyzed separately and as part of an integrated whole.

The next item I noticed was "risk factors." The body's risk factors include high blood pressure, obesity, and high LDL cholesterol. For a business, risk factors include margin erosion, lower lead conversions, and higher turnover.

Finally, the form displayed "impressions" and "recommendations."

Think of your business as a living thing. Give it an annual checkup. Identify all of your systems. Set standards or benchmarks for each one. Measure, evaluate, and recommend corrections as necessary. Hopefully, all you will need is to return next year and fill out the same form.