One of the most important tools we can use to conceptualize what it will take to succeed with a business or business project is to use a metaphor. A metaphor is a symbol that we are familiar with and by using that symbol we are able to represent something that may be abstract, complex or difficult to understand.
In regards to business success, it is important to find a metaphor that works for you. Whether the metaphor you use works for someone else’s business isn’t important. The metaphor you choose must work for your business whether or not it works for someone else’s business.
There are three types of metaphors that are common in regards to creating a successful business.
1. The War Metaphor-The most common metaphor used in business today is the war metaphor. This is probably because of the fact that many of the captains of business and industry were formally in the military and found upon entering business that there were many similarities between what needs to happen to win a war and what needs to happen to have a successful business. The war metaphor is the foundation of the success of business books like The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, The Art of War, and others.
2. The Sports or Game Metaphor-The sports metaphor is similar to the war metaphor in that it is a primarily competitive mindset. The difference is that the terminology is based on a game or a sport. For example, if a football metaphor is being used, a “touchdown” might represent a big sale or contract. Or it could represent a phenomenal breakthrough in a development or engineering company.
3. The Building or Constructing a Structure Metaphor-This is a more cooperative based model. Instead of you having an enemy or opposite team you are trying to defeat, you see your business as a structure that you are building in cooperation with others. Your focus is on the cooperative relationships and actions that must be taken to build this structure. However this metaphor still recognizes the hard, cold realities of the marketplace(s) in which you function.
Again, it is important that you choose a metaphor that works for you and your business. Do not let anyone talk you into choosing a metaphor that you don’t like or is not comfortable to you. You choose the metaphor that works for your business. Let them choose the metaphor that works for their business.
