A Force For Good — Fitting Your Business In The Bigger Picture
There Is Space In The Jig-Saw If You Fit The Pattern
It might feel like you are against the world at first. You have worked hard and long to deliver a solution you believe in and know works then you’ve set out to find customers. It’s truly admirable to have made it this far and yet it’s only really half of the story. Before you establish yourself in the world at large it must be considered in regards to the overall effect you will have. A business has considerable influence when working with other people. Your personality and culture will be seen as an example by others who aspire to be like you. The services you offer and the reasons you give for offering them will become the go-to logical cognitive processes for people, defining their way of managing the world. The symbols and language you use will subconsciously talk to people on levels you or they don’t even realise. We need to have a healthy appreciation for this when growing our brand.
Peace Is Paramount
The most important aspect of society is living in peace. Apart from the obvious human element of trauma and tragedy, it’s also bad for business. During wars, the only people who make money are weapons manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment. Every person killed in war is one less customer for us to solve a problem for. We can knock down old buildings anytime to make way for new things and the jobs they create. We need a safe environment in order to do business in. War is not always the same. It depends on who is at war and how they choose to fight it.
There are three main types of war, according to how they are fought.
Open War is the kind of war we are used to seeing on the news. It’s where two large forces fight each other with no or little regard for other people. In open war, the entire community is involved and it often results in many casualties.
Just War is the kind of war where two forces fight each other without drawing in wider communities. Just, in this case, is not a sign of a good war, it is intended to signify the fact that the fighters are willing and ready. They often fight for a cause or an ideal rather than territory.
Cold War is the type of war that is fought on paper. When two nations are openly aggressive and distrustful of each other but do not take it further, the war is fought with sanctions and the threat of destruction.
What Is Peace?
Again, peace can be graded depending on how peaceful it is. When there is no official state of war it doesn’t guarantee safety. Peace can be tenuous. A Brave Peace is one where tensions rise regularly and fighting often breaks out. It’s not peaceful and the word peace is used as an attempt to work towards better times. A Cold Peace is one where two opposing sides are widely polarised and refuse to work together. This doesn’t result in fighting but does stand as opposition to genuine progress between the two cultures. A Just Peace is one where two cultures are willing to work together on shared visions for the future of their nations.
The important take-home point in war and peace is that governments and politicians cannot maintain peace or war alone. They need help from the media, from business, and from the citizens as a whole. Consent for war is manufactured either by serious grievance or by the allusion to it. It is the responsibility of the media and business to not play into the hands of those who wish to sow division.
Where Does Business Stand In War And Peace?
Businesses have superior resources to promote messages and sell items/services. When a business designs a message, we must take into account the potential effects on war and peace it will have. We must consider whether our products and services make war more or less likely. In certain cases, we can produce for a war-time situation without damaging the work being done for peace. Producing weapons and lies or promoting division is not how business works for peace.
In democratic societies, leadership changes regularly. This means that each new administration brings new laws and cultural shifts that businesses have to navigate. Businesses can work to adapt quickly to new changes so that society, in general, feels a seamless transition. In autocratic societies, the leadership remains the same so shifts in the business environment are rarer. There is also no limit to the power of autocratic governments as they can’t be rejected by voters. This means that business has to work to limit this power by promoting messages and services that maintain progressive ideals.
Leaders lead by example. The important thing to remember is that when in a leadership role, you become an archetype for others to follow. The way you handle difficult situations will become a go-to method for others who want to follow in your footsteps. By maintaining a peaceful and tolerant business culture and then actively working in communities we help to keep society in a good place.
