What Does Your Political Business Make?

Odd question, eh?

Political business?

What does it make??

The inspiration for my question comes from a post by Dawud Miracle: Does Your Business Make Meaning, which was in turn inspired by a YouTube video by the marketer Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start.

Here’s the heart of the matter from Dawud’s blog:

“Guy’s perspective the core of a successful businesses is to make meaning. He says, “…those companies that are fundamentally founded to change the world, to make the world a better place, to make meaning are the companies that make a difference. They are the companies to succeed. My naive and romantic belief is that if you make meaning you will probably make money. But if you set out to make money you probably won’t make meaning and you won’t make money.” “

While Guy is talking about “Business”, I see this as applying just as handily to politics and politicians. Let’s try just a quick re-stating of the key bits:

…”the core of a successful [politician] is to make meaning. “…those [political campaigns] that are fundamentally founded to change the world, to make the world a better place, to make meaning are the [politicians/campaigns] that make a difference. They are the [politicians/campaigns] to succeed. My naive and romantic belief is that if you make meaning you will probably [get votes]. But if you set out to [get votes] you probably won’t make meaning and you won’t [get votes].”

If you pop over to Dawud’s blog or use my link, you can watch the 2.5 minute video where Guy lays out how he believes a business can create meaning. Just substitute ideas related to political campaigning (getting votes, getting elected) for his vocabulary related to starting up a business (making money).

If you don’t have the chance to do that, here are the three key ways of making meaning he describes:

1. Increase the quality of life
2. Right a wrong
3. Prevent the end of something good

Again, I see a great match between these and the top reasons politicians are motivated to get into or stay in politics (unless they get distracted into another conversation…but that’s a post for another day – stay tuned).

And it’s important to be clear about which of these is motivating you. It may be one, it may be all three, but be clear about it.

Why?

Because getting and staying clear about your vision, passion, and goals – whether it’s a business or a political campaign — is critical to initial success and later follow-through. It’s critical for your health and well-being while you’re working on and in your “political business”.

Researchers have shown that when a person has conflicting goals or is ambivalent about their goals, they are more likely to:

• feel depressed or anxious
• be less satisfied and less happy
• have more physical illness and visits to physicians
• be indecisive, uncertain, and uncooperative
• be distracted
• procrastinate
• spend more time thinking about their goals
• spend less time taking action toward their goals

People who try to make changes in their lives and fail to do so are six times more likely to be uncertain about what they really want and to even question whether they really want to change.

So the available research suggests that being clear about what you want to accomplish is key for moving forward.

And the more meaningful, the more motivating – for you and for your “customers”.

So — there’s my question…

Why are you interested in starting (or keeping) a “political business”?:

1. Increase quality of life?
2. Right a wrong?
3. Prevent the end of something good?

I’ll be delighted to hear what you have to share.