People are forever asking “what do you mean by…?” In this glossary we say what we mean by key words. This does not presume to give a global definition of these terms though our usage rarely departs from the norm.
See also the short pieces, strictly limited to 300 words, on a variety of subjects.
A set of consistent beliefs that there is enough to go around and that it is isn’t necessary to compete with people for what we need (money, clients, friendship, approbation, love…)’. Usually requires insight and maturity before this position is comfortably held. cf scarcity model
A desired outcome of networking. When two business people know each other well enough, it should be possible for each to advocate the other to their contacts. Advocacy is not just referring, or even recommending; it is the ability of A to explain, often from firsthand experience, why the other person should entertain B, the person A is advocating to them. Advocacy differs from referral in that it is active and proactive, whereas referring is passive and reactive. Advocacy requires a degree of trust and commitment which many British business people are reluctant to give.
Advocacy is clearly a suitable subject for emotional intelligence because it requires a capacity to initiate and develop productive working relationships if it is to work.
Related material:
> Getting business through advocacy
Two main areas of mental processes contribute to a person’s attitude towards something:
– their feelings about that thing
– their beliefs about it.
However it is not an additive combination of the two, rather the complex interaction between these two is the attitude.
Related material:
> The behaviour cycle
> A short piece about why we behave the way we do
Widely disputed term, particular when comparing UK and US usage. For our purposes, coaching is creating a facilitating environment (hence, it is leadership activity) in which the client is most likely to thrive, to grow, to develop. This is carried out as a conversation in which the content is provided by the client and the context by the coach.
Coaching tends to be person-specific and does not require the coach to be experienced in the client’s job or business sector. Coaching is working on the business, not in the business. It is not advice-giving, counselling, consultancy, mentoring (qv).
Related material:
> What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
Someone who knows a lot of people and enjoys connecting them together usefully. From Malcolm Gladwell’s The tipping point. cf maven
Related material:
> Who to focus on when networking
In a relationship between two people, a dependent approach to the relationship is one which seeks to get all its needs met by the other person. cf independence, interdependence
Related material:
> Stages of personal development—basics
> Stages of personal development—1 dependent
The ability to identify, understand and manage one’s emotions; the ability to identify, understand and influence others’ emotions [not the ability to manage others’ emotions]. A values-neutral concept; emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is neither good nor bad—it is just a set of abilities, emotions and beliefs which tend to lead to characteristic behaviours.
Related material:
> What is emotional intelligence?
> How is EQ different from IQ? [blog]
In a relationship between two people, an independent approach to the relationship is one which refuses to relate to the other on equal terms, and carries a belief that the independent one is the only person who can meet their needs. Beloved of many business bosses who take the view that, “if you want something done, you have to do it yourself”, “It’s lonely at the top”, etc. Characterised therefore by being controlling and not trusting. Not the same as autonomy or self-sufficiency, both of which are desirable characteristics of interdependence (qv). cf dependence, interdependence
Related material:
> Stages of personal development—basics
In a relationship between two people, an approach which makes the other person more important than you (ie, a leadership approach); in which the person seeks to meet their own needs (hence self-sufficiency and autonomy belong here). It can be hard going, but perfectly possible, for one person to maintain an interdependent approach to another person who wants to be dependent or independent—indeed, it is the only approach to take in such a situation. cf dependence, independence
Related material:
> Stages of personal development—basics
Instinct is a predisposition to behave in certain ways in certain circumstances which it appears people are born with, rather than having to acquire postnatally. cf intuition
Instincts include:
Intuition is an unconscious rational thinking process. As it is unconscious, we are, by definition, unaware of it, and this has led people to ascribe various flaky ideas to intuition which don’t stand up to scrutiny. In particular, the idea that intuition is a sense is meaningless, since it can take place without perception and to say that it senses some sort of cosmic truth is tendentious, at best. cf instinct
Related material:
> Thinker, feeler, knower, sensor?
An attitude or approach to other people. Not a set of behaviours, not some sort of “gold level” management style. Not the boss, or person in charge, though it is to be hoped that bosses are leaders.
A leadership approach is one which makes the other person more important that you—this is not the same as a belief that the other person is more important than you. This is no more than the embodiment of good management, good customer service, good being in any sort of relationship.
Leadership is creating a “facilitating environment”, in which those that are “lead” can thrive and grow.
Related material:
> Leadership guide
> A short piece about leadership
Someone who knows, and is known for knowing, a lot of stuff. This is usually in specific, well-defined areas. From Malcolm Gladwell’s The tipping point. cf connector
Related material:
> Who to focus on when networking
Widely disputed term, particularly when comparing UK and US usage. For our purposes, mentoring provides a relationship with the client in which the client learns from the mentor’s knowledge, experience and understanding. Mentoring tends to be job-specific and requires the mentor to be experienced in that job, or something usefully similar, and often in the client’s business sector. Mentoring is working on the business, not in the business. It is not advice-giving (other than informally), counselling, consultancy, coaching (qv).
Related material:
> What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
A group of people, each of which has a relationship to at least one other. Ideally, many of them have several relationships with others in the group.
Activity intended to develop useful and productive relationships with other people. The most useful purpose of networking is to find out how you can help other people.
Networking is best undertaken as a two stage process: (a), attending so-called “networking meetings” at which you consider who you might develop a business relationship with at… (b), one to one meetings with individuals with whom a useful business relationship might be developed.
Networking is a suitable subject for emotional intelligence because it requires a capacity to initiate and develop productive working relationships if it is to work.
Related material:
> Networking guide
What happens as a result of achieving the purpose of a function. See purpose
Related material:
> Purpose and outcomes
An injunction, encouragement, suggestion to do or be something. For example, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. All precepts are principles, but not all principles are precepts. cf principle
Related material:
> Twelve precepts of leadership
A statement about how the world is. For example, “the meaning of a message is what the recipient makes of it”. Similar to an NLP presupposition, but with more backup. cf precept
Related material:
> Fifteen principles of leadership
> Twelve principles of effective communication (Allen and Haugh)
Why something is done, whether it is running a business, holding a meeting or any other activity. Not the same as what happens as a result of achieving the purpose (these are outcomes), and not the same as what is done in order to achieve the purpose (these are actions).
For example, the purpose of a company providing IT support to other businesses might be to ensure that their clients can continue to trade in the event of an IT failure; what they do to achieve that purpose (the actions) is the maintenance and mending of the client’s IT equipment; the outcomes are cash in the bank, potential to develop the business, cars on the forecourt and so on.
Related material:
> Purpose and outcomes
A worthwhile outcome of networking if you can’t get to advocacy. It requires two business people to know enough about each other’s goods and services that each can talk to third parties about the other’s. Referring contains an element of recommending. so there are credibility issues to be addresses if the relationship is to be profitable. Unlike advocacy, which is active and proactive, referring need only be passive and reactive.
Referral relationships are clearly a suitable subject for emotional intelligence because it requires a capacity to initiate and develop productive working relationships if it is to work.
A set of consistent beliefs that there is not enough to go around, and that ‘I am not going to get enough of what I need (money, clients, friendship, approbation, love…)’. Depressingly common amongst businesspeople (and not just those in small businesses). Actually, depressingly common among people full stop (it’s a major driver of politicians, of course). Almost inevitably the scarcity model is derived from early childhood experiences and beliefs and can often require both insight and effort to transcend. cf abundance model
Related material:
> How the scarcity model affects businesses
> How the scarcity model affects sales
by Jeremy Marchant . © 2016 Jeremy Marchant Limited . last updated 6 march 2016 . image: Free images