Getting Congruent

“Congruent”, one of my all time favorite words, and concepts. It means ‘In agreement, or in harmony’. Most business people never really arrive at congruence between what they say they want, and what they actually do.

For example

• If you say you want a respected and well-known brand, yet you’re not willing to invest in marketing…well, that’s incongruent.
• If you say your most important asset is your people, but your people feel under-valued – incongruent.
• If your slogan says “we care” but your service shows “Not that much”, you guessed it, that’s incongruent!

There are a lot of great examples of this everywhere in Zimbabwean business, but my house feels a little ‘glassy’ on this one…so I won’t throw any stones (until I’ve sorted myself out)

Heck, everyone, and I don’t care who you are, is in-congruent in some ways. You business plan says one this, but your action plan says something else. Your new year’s resolution says this, but your spending habits say that. Your priority list says ABC, but your daily agenda says XJKPQ…or something

But what could happen for you in 2012 if you got some accountability, more focus and a vision so compelling that it forced you into greater congruency?

• Maybe you’d become the ‘expert’ who says he can, and then shows it.
• Or the brand that claims to be number one, and actually is.
• Or the guy who says ‘trust me’, then proves trust worthy.

Oh and if you think you’re already too congruent to bother with thinking about all this…ask your wife, she’ll set you straight!

Ah, just thinking out loud, preaching to myself...again.