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Passion and the Workplace
By Ellen Thompson
Oct 25, 2006, 17:12
The phrase “passion in the workplace” means different things to different people. For many, “passion in the workplace” does little more than bring to mind an image of a couple behind closed doors in a compromising position.
Not me. When I think of “passion in the workplace”, I see an entrepreneur and a team of engaged employees who believe in what they are doing. This kind of passion makes all the difference in the world when you are trying to grow a successful business.
I live by the axiom, “If you do what you love, the money will come.” Conversely, I have had little tolerance for projects that have little meaning for me. Recently, these values have been put to the test.
We are currently thinking through our business model for a new venture with the help of two Wharton undergrads who are taking a consulting class and have chosen us as their project “guinea pigs.” After reviewing the competitive landscape, they concluded that we stand to make more money and face less risk if we reposition the company to target a very different market. It is a clever suggestion resulting from true “out of the box” thinking. On the surface, our idea seems crazy in the face of well established competitors with tens of millions of dollars in revenue. However, the business they think should emerge just doesn’t excite me. They may yet be right, but I need to pass on their suggestion because I just can’t get passionate about it.
New businesses just don’t grow overnight. Most take years to gain traction. Having launched a half a dozen companies, I know this all too well. I also know from experience that if you have passion for your idea, you are much more likely to be able to do what it takes to succeed than those who slave away growing a business they hate.
Passion is one of those intangibles that can have a powerful effect and there will always be a place for it in my business.
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