Recently news website Stuff listed New Zealand’s 5 coolest companies. One of the things that all these businesses had in common was a desire to cultivate the quality of being ‘genuine’ among their employees. At Xero for example the employee strategy was about “being respectful” and enjoying the company of the people you work with.
Take a minute to think – How genuine are you being at BNI?
Genuine means being real, sincere and honest.
Genuine people are more or less the same on the inside as their behaviour is on the outside. Being genuine is challenging in a world full of phony fads, media hype, virtual personas, positive thinkers, and personal brands… just take a look at the American presidential election!
These are the 4 qualities that all genuine people have:
- They can tell when others are full of it. Naive people can be easily fooled, but genuine people are not naive. They’re grounded in reality and that lets them see when things don’t add up. This is an important quality for BNI since a big part of giving referrals involves trust.
- They don’t seek attention and they are comfortable in their own skin. They don’t need constant reinforcement of their own ego. Where attention seekers have a hole that constantly needs to be filled, genuine people are already filled with self-confidence and self-awareness. Becoming more genuine involves building your confidence – something that happens over time as you present at BNI each week.
- They do what they say and say what they mean. They don’t tend to overreach or exaggerate. They meet their commitments and they don’t sugar-coat the truth. This is a vital quality for us here at BNI. Giving and receiving referrals and following these up is something genuine people do.
- They’re not thin-skinned. They don’t take themselves too seriously so they don’t take offense when none is intended. If you or your business is facing roadblocks, the chapter is a good place to discuss this. Draw on the expertise in your chapter and remember that most people will at one stage have been in your shoes. Challenges are part of life and business after all.
Morning meetings are a busy time, so it’s important that you are present and be genuine with your fellow BNI members. Take some time to reflect on your own behaviour and whether you need to get more real at BNI.
