Seeing is Co-Contributing

One of the businesses that I got involved in, for a couple of years, was the business of buying commercial properties and dividing them into small offices and renting them out. The business model was performing well, but I made my fortune in the property, not much from the shared office space idea.

Anyways, one of our tenants at our shared office facilities, caught my attention, from day one. He was one of our most accommodating and understanding tenants even at times when we had glitches in our system. He was kind, warm, and welcoming. We had a mutually respectful relationship and an amazing experience doing business with him.

The first instance when I met him, he made me comfortable around him. He is blessed to be admired by many in his circle of influence. We wanted to connect with him and learn as to what made him so approachable. He has a lot to offer and he is generous enough to share.

We sat for a friendly conversation and as usual we kicked off on a very positive note. Our meeting was in early morning, so he started by saying: "we should all try to wake up positive." Following that positive vibe, he began to share the impact his family had on him. His upbringing was in an environment where moral, ethical, and human values were cherished. The love he received from his mom and siblings made him who he is today. His family values are at the core of his personality.

One of the values that Mike Meehan kept on bringing up during our conversation was the concept of "acknowledging others." Mike is blessed and he was giving all the credit to his ability to acknowledge others, as he emphasized that: "everyone needs to be acknowledged." He is blessed because of his generous nature to see and acknowledge others.

As you might be aware that the concept of acknowledging and seeing others is at the core of a Co-Contributor's character. When we see others we can understand them and when we understand them we relate to them. When we relate to others it is the first step towards Co-Contributorship. Seeing others is a window into their world.

In the world of business, at times we need to be acknowledged. We need others to understand us. We need others to know why we are doing what we are doing. In most scenarios, we feel lonely and that is where the value of Co-Contributor comes handy. Our Co-Contributor comes to our rescue to understand our mission. As Mike very beautifully put it: "as a sole proprietor we need to offload.

Co-Contributing is about breaking the ice so that our fellow Co-Contributor feels comfortable enough to offload what they have in their mind and heart. Unless they share exactly what they want, we, as a Co-Contributor will not be in a position to help them out.

Seeing and acknowledging others is the spark for building deeper relationships. As the sayings goes: "first impression is everything." In our case, first acknowledgment is the beginning of building a mutually contributing relationship. Only deep and genuine relationships can truly lift us up meaningfully. So, acknowledging is where we catch our fellow Co-Contributor's attention.

I would like to end this writing by quoting Mike, which summarizes what we are trying to accomplish in our Co-Contributing relationships: "wake up in the morning trying to make other people's day bright."