What’s Psychology Got To Do With It?
How much does the average businessperson need to know about psychology?
Many American businesspeople embrace the idea that they can forget about what makes people tick and run their business by numbers and process alone. They believe that if they have a good enough understanding of the P&L, cash flow, forecasts, and process controls that they will do just fine.
Managers flow out of universities with little undertanding of emotional intelligence, and the impact of what makes people tick. They believe people will do what their job requires as they are directed.
Highly successful leaders know full well the power of how people feel and think. Malcolm Forbes once said “There are those of us who think that the psychology of man, each and together, has more impact on markets, business, services, construction, and the entire fabric of an economy than all the more measurable statistical indices.”
Forbes isn’t the only one paying attention to the “soft” side of leadership. Jack Welch may be famous for systemically eliminating the lowest performers each year, and he is also famous for his ability to empower and engage. The great ones get it. Little things like quality control, productivity, and customer service come from beliefs, habits, and attitudes as much as systems, skills, and processes. People define the culture of an organization, and psychology is the foundation of how much they are willing to give on any given day.
When people do more than is expected of them out of a sense of pride, it is usually a result of good leadership toward a clear and exciting vision. Take your psychological temperature today. How is your “get it” factor?
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