Whether you’re a fan of it or not, reality show The Bachelor New Zealand is in full swing at the moment with massive promotion in the media. The Bachelor is a reality show import from the States. It follows a group of Kiwi Bachelorettes who have embarked on the ultimate romantic adventure (or misadventure). They vie for the love of the Bachelor through a series of group dates, one-on-one dates, and the rose ceremony where contestants are eliminated from the show.
Now you may have zero interest in this show or the people who have taken time out of their lives to get involved. However, there are a number of interesting business and life lessons that can be gained from the show that are of relevance for us at BNI.
Here are 4 of the best:
1. Don’t judge a book by its cover. The “nice girl” might seem boring, but boring and reliable loves you a whole lot more than unpredictable and sexy.
There’s a BNI member from BNI Thrive who deals with data – which isn’t necessarily the sexiest of businesses to all. When he did his 60 seconds recently however, he made an interesting analogy relating what he does with data and how important it is as fuel for a business. It was great stuff, it reminds us to keep our eyes and ears open for practical business opportunities and not judge a book by its cover.
2. The truth is, it’s not about where you are, it’s about where you’re going. This idea has been explored on the show and is true of every situation in life and business. Every step of your life and your career is a journey, one that isn’t about where you stand today, but about where you’re moving to in the future. Look to the horizon and you’ll be able to see the next step.
This is true of your 60 seconds at BNI – don’t just give an update of where you are at in your business each week; also project out to the future and describe where you want to be.
3. Value experiences. The “Bachelor” franchise doesn’t value time when building relationships — the engaged couples at the end of the show have known each other all of six weeks. What the shows do value are experiences, which is why people still watch them.
Is it possible that two people learn more about one another on one exhilarating bungee jump or bridge climb than they do in five or six dinner dates? Could be. The same applies to all experiences in life and in your time at BNI.
Place more value on important experiences at BNI rather than just doing the same thing week to week. Move around at weekly meetings – don’t just sit in the same place speaking to the same member each week. Stay committed to doing one-on-ones, place value on new opportunities and referrals will come your way.
4. Be authentic and act with integrity. During the show you hope contestants don’t mould themselves into what they think the Bachelor wants them to be. Big mistake!
Relationships are built on mutual trust and understanding, and whether it’s in your business or in your personal life you need to bring the real you to the table. Building a relationship on false pretences will eventually catch up with you, and it will be the demise of the relationship. No matter where you are in your life, online, offline or in person, you should always act with integrity. This means being honest, decent and trustworthy at BNI.
