Business is ALWAYS Personal!!!

"Business is never personal" is a lie. No matter how many times I've tried to convince myself otherwise, never could settle on that statement. With what I know now, along with all of my experiences, including the times that I've said it to someone else, it's just another way to get over.

Me & a female friend of mine were having this discussion, regarding her job & how the personal element seems to be missing, specifically when it comes to the employees @ the lower end of the totem pole. She needed some time off after Army Reserve drill (3 weeks in training every summer, etc.). In essence, she needed to get her mind out of "soldier mode" so that she would be able to relate to the customers as regular people, and not as civilians. Just as quick as she could make her request from her manager, it was denied. Well, her being her, she took it to the human resources department, who showed more courtesy, realizing the impact that her current mind-state could have on the business, and was approved.

The higher-ups/management though, always had their personal interests considered when needed, whether it was leaving early because a friend (not family member) was in a car accident, or being able to bring their child to work if no babysitter was available. The conclusion that we came to, is that is was plain bad business to not equally take into consideration the needs of anyone in any level of business. And that the customer ain't always right, no matter how much they pay! But the above still applies when it come to them.

Here's my further thoughts on the issue as a whole:

-No matter the business, or what the transaction consists of, how can business NOT be personal, when there's people involved?
-If business is good, generally, the people involved are have/keep good morale about it, and business gets better, if not staying consistent.
-If business is bad, the people involved suffer from lowered morale, making business worse.
-Anytime I tried using that statement, it as just an excuse to be cold & callous in my dealings.
-Power trips are only short vacations, those taking them have to come back to reality (Freedom, Justice, & Equality) sooner or later.
-Selfishness is not an option, no matter how much $ is involved, being ethical pays better, because karma is a bitch! (Universally speaking)
-Playing favorites, somebody will lose, and it'll probably be the person who has their favorites.

In conclusion, Equality should be the basis in all business dealings. The right to make a profit is not a license to be cruel. As long as a request from someone that you're in charge of is within good reason, and there can be a compromise worked out, work it out!!! Business is ALWAYS personal, and when that's forgotten, those who aren't treated fairly will forget to work with you when you need it the most.

A couple of references...
http://www.infomanagementcenter.com/enewsletter/200503/second.htm
http://www.ci.cerritos.ca.us/cityserv/publicsafety/goodbusiness.html