Practical Psychology is a weekly newspaper column I have been writing for over 20 years. It is designed to address psychological topics that are most useful to its readers. Please feel free to re-print any of them in any form you wish. I ask only that you give the information about how to subscribe and credit for authorship. Thanks.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN BUSINESS
By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.

How does anyone begin or grow a business, and keep his/her  psychological health? It is not easy. Successful businesses today  challenge the physical and psychological health of the best of us.  Entrepreneurs, business owners, presidents and vice presidents, board  chairmen (women), executive officers, managers, supervisors,  employees, everyone involved in a business today, are under tremendous  pressure to "succeed." In addition, success is defined as "making  enough money." In a fear-driven effort to make money in business,  people often neglect the physical, mental, emotional, social and  spiritual aspects of their lives. Making money does not satisfy the  personal, psychological needs of any of us. Yet having enough money  is certainly necessary to enable us more easily to satisfy such needs.  

Here are some general business maxims that may allow you to be more  successful in business and still keep your psychological health.  

Contrary to what most of us were taught, time is not the equivalent  of money. I have never witnessed time creating money, signing a  check, or handing me cash. Making money is totally dependent on the  quality of relationships we have with other people. Money is only  one, albeit an important one, currency of exchange between people.  Time is only the medium in which relationships are built. It is the  quality of the relationships you have generates the exchange of  money...not time. Treat your prospects and customers and fellow  workers with the same respect, honor and caring as you would like them  to treat you. When you help enough people get what they want in life,  you too will acquire what you want.  

According to a study of top executives and board chairpersons, done  by Harvard Business School, "integrity" was the most critical personal  characteristic of the successful business person. Therefore, always  behave "inside" your own integrity. When we behave "outside" our  personal integrity, relationships deteriorate. Never deceive,  misrepresent, falsify or lie about yourself or your business with  anyone...even the IRS. Telling and acting on the Truth, living a  moral and ethical life, thereby maintaining your own personal  integrity, will do more than anything else to create and keep your own  psychological health as well as the health of your business  relationships.  

Never stop learning about yourself or your business. Your primary  ambition needs to be the acquisition of new knowledge about who you  are, what you do and the business you're in. Everything changes. You  change. Your business changes. Others change. Life changes. You  must remain open and curious about the nature of such changes. When  you don't, you become stagnant at best, and at worst, fail in your  enterprise.  

Always praise your own goods and services. No one ever exchanged a  white horse for money, by pointing out the imperfections of a black  one. If you gossip, repeat what you hear others say, or divulge a  confidence, your relationship is abraded and your integrity damaged,  even lost.  

Although they may never appear on a balance sheet, people are your  greatest assets. Not your skills, not your insights or knowledge, not  your business structure, not your marketing shrewdness, but your  people...they should be heavily invested in. Without other people and  high-quality relationships, your business is doomed. Make heavy  investments of time, energy and money in people only after you have  great knowledge of their nature and situation. Without that, your  risk is extremely high.  

Spend little, if any time working on strengthening your weaknesses.  We all have weaknesses. We each have strengths. Focus on using and  increasing your strengths. Identify your weaknesses, form a  job-description of them, and delegate those jobs to people who have  them as strengths. After all, you could spend a lifetime working on  improving your weaknesses and in the end, you have average-level  weaknesses. Engage in your strengths and you become successful more  efficiently and effectively. 

Maintain these maxims and you increase your chances of business success. Use these maxims and you increase your chances of maintaining your psychological balance as well.

Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30+ years experience as a Life Coach and Licensed Psychologist. He is available for coaching in any area presented in "Practical Psychology." Initial coaching sessions are free. Contact him: (970) 568-0173 or E-mail: DrLloyd@CreatingLeaders.com or LJTDAT@aol.com.

Dr. Thomas also serves on the faculty of the Institute For Life Coach Training and the International University of Professional Studies. He recently co-authored (with Patrick Williams) the book: *Total Life Coaching: 50+ Life Lessons, Skills and Techniques for Enhancing Your Practice*and Your Life!* (W.W. Norton 2005) available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com.

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