Firstly as a source of revenue to run a business and meet sales targets, and secondly as people to whom we give excellent service for which we get paid. There’s a very subtle difference between these two points of view.
What I’m describing is the difference between pure self-interest and an enlightened self-interest. Not a mystic philosophy, but instead a pragmatic, commercial and common sense way of seeing the world.
The word enlightened has several meanings including humanitarian – charitable, liberal, and idealistic, but crucially also utilitarian – useful, beneficial, and practical.
As human beings at our core we are fundamentally self-interested – we’re preoccupied first in our own outcomes: ‘what’s in it for me?’ But we are also motivated by social interest. After all if someone serves our needs we naturally tend to want to repay the complement.
So with an enlightened self-interest we understand that in order to best serve our own needs we need to also attend to the interests of others.
Here are some things to try in order to work more with an enlightened self-interest (remember it’s a balance between meeting your needs as well as those of others):
• Try some new activities in various life areas – work, family, leisure – that will bring goodwill
• Assert yourself. Ask for what you want, say ‘no’ to what you don’t, and tell others (when appropriate) what you think and how you feel
• Go out of your way to show positive feelings towards others – gratitude, respect, trust – which in turn will arouse goodwill from them
• Make a point of doing something just for you each day
If we think about it we can give examples of successful people and businesses that truly put their customers and stakeholders first and yet at the same time get more of what they want.
Peter Welch is intermediary director for MyTouchstone
