What Works: What I learned about business through paranormal investigating
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Sometimes, business lessons come flying at me faster than I can take notes about them. Ideas are sort of like orbs. Some you can’t see unless you are looking for them. Some people believe in them, some don’t. Yet they are always a topic of discussion. The orbs were flying like crazy at The St. Charles Hotel this past weekend.
Paranormal Investigating is fun, and easy to do in Nevada. There are so many opportunities to do it solo or with a group, like the Thin Veil Investigators. Thin Veil does tours of places like the St. Charles Hotel in Carson City and The Dake House in Minden on a regular basis.
Here are just a few things I have learned about business through paranormal investigating.
1) Be open. Walking into any new situation, you should be open to a different outcome than you had in mind. I had gone on an investigation at The St. Charles Hotel before. There are a couple of ways I could have ruined my ghost hunting experience before it started. I could have allowed the thought to stick that it would have been the same experience at last time. Or, I could have walked in with pre-conceived notions. Either way, it would have changed my experience. Always be open to turns in the road in life in business. When you float down the stream instead of fighting the current, you are more flexible.
2) Stay alert and aware. You have to be aware of yourself, those around you, and your surroundings when you are on a paranormal investigation. If you aren’t alert and aware in an old building, you could end up getting hurt. It’s the same thing in business. If you start slipping into routine, you can get blindsided. If you can’t see trends in sales or competition, you might not be able to forecast well. If you aren’t in touch with employees' needs, human resources could fall through the floor.
3) Commit to curiosity. Paranormal investigating is about being curious about the past. If you can stay curious in business, you will be ahead of the curve. You will be able to research trends, capture interesting moments, and learn more about your industry. Curious business owners educate themselves, get coaching, read books, and do workshops. They pay attention to the news. Sometimes, their curiosity helps them strike gold.
4) Pay attention to how you feel. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, any type of investigation is going to impact the way you feel. Being on your feet for a long time can be tiring. It’s best to pay attention so you can remove yourself from a room, drink water, or do what is best for you. In business, your gut feeling says a lot. If something doesn’t feel right, question it. If something feels right, go for it. This level of attention to yourself can help in the long run.
5) Respond to intuition. Sometimes, when paranormal investigating, you will get a strong thought or inclination to do something. Those inspirations can lead to big breakthroughs, no matter what you are doing when they hit. The key is to act, to question, research, check feasibility, and do it. Did you know that Ford and GM had plans on the drawing board for the mini-van long before Chrysler did? Chrysler was the first to act on it and was able to put its stake in the ground as the #3 US automobile manufacturer. Two players sat on the idea. One new player jumped in and went full speed. Chrysler is still winning today thanks to that response to market intuition.
Today’s exercise: Play investigator in your business. Take a look at one situation. When it comes to that situation, be open, stay alert and aware about it. Apply that heightened awareness and commit to curiosity about it. Pay attention to how you feel when you receive new information. Process the old, synthesize the new, and respond to your intuition. Tell me how it goes in the comments below.
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What Works Coaching
Diane Dye Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a business coaching and marketing services firm based in Carson City. She has 20 years of experience working with top corporations, growing businesses, motivated entrepreneurs, and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Diane holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Marketing from Cal State San Bernardino. She is also a candidate for a Master’s degree in Communications Management from the University of Southern California. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, in Carson Now.
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