Abundance-Thinking in Business

I subscribe to an idea called abundance-thinking.

Abundance-thinking differs from scarcity thinking. If you believe that all resources are scarce, that everything around you is highly competitive, that there won’t be enough to go around, you’re participating in scarcity thinking. It creates an emotional and intellectual state that leads to hording, secretiveness, even backstabbing. I don’t believe in this.

I believe that all resources are abundant – that there’s a vast amount of resources, customers, ideas, and approaches to problems. I believe there’s enough money to go around, and that opportunities are infinite and abundant. I believe that there’s no reason to horde, but to share, in opportunities, time, and capabilities, and that I can bring better value in thinking this way to my clients and business relationships.

For example, I believe that my competitors may be able to add value in areas where I can’t.  Jeff Bolden of Boldtech Solutions does very much the same thing that I do and he does it well. I ran into a situation a month ago that one of my clients had a downed server – an emergency situation – and I couldn’t get out there to help them. Instead, I referred my “competitor” to them because he was competent enough to do the job right, and so that he could get out there and fix the server for my customer. He did a great job: he dropped what he was doing, showed up, made a great impression, and fixed the problem.

Another example is Roger Hale of Portland Area Technology Solutions. Roger is my go-to guy to look at technical problems on PC’s when I can’t make it out to the field. Roger’s professional, arrives on time, and gets the job done – always able to cover me when I’m out of town, or, at an important meeting.

For me, that’s adding value to my client relationship: abundance thinking. It’s about getting competent associates and partners to the right place at the right time. It’s sharing in the wealth instead of “owning” it. It’s realizing that I may not make a couple of bucks fixing the server, but I will address my customer’s needs and channel in the right resources – even if I can’t do it myself. I mean, hey: I can’t be everything to everybody! But I can help solve a problem.

Abundance-thinking is anti-competitive. It looks at life and work as a partnership with others where it’s not “winner-takes-all” but rather an opportunity to participate in the possibilities. To help others. To be more of a resource to others and less of a competitor. And in this economy, maybe more sincerity and cooperation in our business partnerships is exactly what we need to all be viable together?  That’s how I run my business, folks, and that’s the kind of professionals I like to associate with.

Feel the same about your business? Let’s do coffee! I want to understand how I can help you be successful.

R

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