Growth Philosophy is a methodology that promotes sustainable improvement, enrichment and success. It incorporates approaches to creating room for growth and methods for implementing specific measures that will lead to achieving enduring success.
INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION
A successful Growth Philosophy begins with the individual who applies its methods to their personal life, to lead by example to others. Much of the time, the success of an individual relies on the success of those around them; this is the core of this philosophy. To help oneself, we must first help others. If personal growth is the goal, then being altruistic in outward actions will have a mutually beneficial effect. Find what others need to feel content or to be successful, and then do what you can to help them achieve that. Secondly, sharing of knowledge is a large part of growth and success. Core to this principle is sharing knowledge with those around us freely. On and individual level, it is important to be humble, put others first, always be respectful, and seek out ways to share your knowledge to those who can benefit.
INTERPERSONAL APPLICATION
Implementing an outward Growth Philosophy helps others to grow or improve, and everyone benefits. With interpersonal relationships, it comes down to simply getting to know those around you, and finding ways you can make their lives a little easier. A useful device is a team-building approach. Create situations where you can team up with others, and by combining your knowledge and capabilities it will benefit you both. This will grow and strengthen your existing relationships, and will also help you in developing new relationships.
BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
COMPANY GROWTH
Applying an active Growth Philosophy to business can benefit long-term and manifest itself visibly. Practiced regularly, it gives the opportunity improve yourself, your team members and your entire company using the same altruistic approach on a wider scale. In business there are three basic applications. An inward approach for yourself and those in your company; an outward approach with those customers you serve; and a similar approach to those vendors (or even competitors) that work with you.
Here is a basic example of a business Growth Philosophy in action:
You decide that you want to move up in your company, but there are two problems. One; you are so good at your job that the management is hesitant to promote you because there is no one to replace you. And two; the position you want is already filled by your immediate supervisor and until that person moves up, there’s no upward mobility. The Growth Philosophy here is to make the supervisor’s job easier, so they can be more successful and hopefully move up in the company. At the same time, it’s just as important to train your replacement. Find the right person in the organization you can promote and mentor, making them more successful. By acting in this selfless manner, you will have made visible growth improvements in your company. Working this way with people up and down the hierarchy produces broad company growth organically by making room for everyone to grow as a unit.
CUSTOMER GROWTH
A similar approach can also be applied outside the company. With your customers, there are always opportunities to help them to succeed in their businesses during your interactions with them. In the very least, you want to be their favorite vendor, the one that is the easiest to do business with. Find what makes doing business with you easier, and work toward that. This will help them to grow their business, and will instill a sense of lasting loyalty from them as you provide value. If you help them grow their business, they will certainly bring more opportunities to you that will grow your company.
VENDOR GROWTH
It’s important to treat vendors with the same respect as those who buy from you, or those you work with. Providing value to vendors through shared knowledge and resources creates a team mentality. Look for opportunities to team up with them and find ways to provide your products or services to them on some level. At the very least, try to make their job easier. You want to be their favorite customer, and transactions to be a pleasant experience that they look forward to. This builds a sense of team loyalty and will help them to grow their business. Working with successful vendors makes your job easier, allowing for more growth in your own company.