There hasn't been a time in my life where pomegranates weren't a major part: either raw, its molasses as a key ingredient of Persian cuisine or in juice form. They're in season for only a few months and we enjoy them fresh as much as we can.
Culturally, pomegranates are significant, too. They're a symbol of love and fertility so they are prominent at Persian weddings. They also play a role during the winter solstice where we celebrate rebirth and the shift of the sun towards longer days.
They've been around for several thousand years and my people have been enjoying them for nearly that long, too.
Where exactly is this going?
I read this post yesterday by Margie Clayman and it reminded me of pomegranates. For me, it's comical to see them become SO popular in the U.S. recently and treated in the domestic media and cooking shows almost as if they were just discovered while they've been enjoyed by many others for thousands of years.
That said, with knowledge and experience comes responsibility which is Margie's point. She has it exactly right when it comes to sharing what you know in the social media space as opposed to behaving dismissively. I could be smug about pomegranates but what I should do is share why I love them so (as I have above).
Equilibrium is the name of the game.
Whether trying to win new business or keeping current customers happy, there has to be equilibrium. This means that we live in a perpetual circle of good where we share either what's new to someone or reinforce a concept already known but perhaps stated in a different way. Essentially, it's never what we share as it is that we're sharing it in the first place to maintain equilibrium. Most importantly, it's how we share it that sets us apart from others.
Why? Let's remember our school days. The teacher was at the front of the classroom sharing new concepts and was in a position of authority. Some teachers loved power and could make life miserable if we "didn't play by the rules" in the classroom. It felt like teaching us was their way of extending a favor which created fear (and loathing). The lesson wasn't the content but that of leverage.
Other teachers created a community and shared information that fed our curiosity and flamed our passion for more knowledge. The lesson also wasn't the content but the spirit of asking for and receiving tools to further our success. We were grateful for what we learned and asked for more.
Be a pomegranate.
Today as we're trying to win new or retain business, let's keep that schoolroom image in mind. Do we really want to approach business development with an obvious addition to power with a dash of smug? Do we really want to be the business that loves power and uses our product/industry knowledge leverage over customers? I didn't think so.
Like the pomegranate, we should be a symbol of love and fertility to new and existing customers. How we engage with others should be based on sharing what we know to help them become more successful. It will flame the passion for more which we should gladly provide.
What say you? Please share below and, if you've enjoyed this, please share with others.
Parissa Behnia
Idea Chef
678Partners@gmail.com
678Partners.com
LinkedIn
Twitter
Culturally, pomegranates are significant, too. They're a symbol of love and fertility so they are prominent at Persian weddings. They also play a role during the winter solstice where we celebrate rebirth and the shift of the sun towards longer days.
They've been around for several thousand years and my people have been enjoying them for nearly that long, too.
Featured image courtesy of xamonster licensed via Creative Commons
I read this post yesterday by Margie Clayman and it reminded me of pomegranates. For me, it's comical to see them become SO popular in the U.S. recently and treated in the domestic media and cooking shows almost as if they were just discovered while they've been enjoyed by many others for thousands of years.
That said, with knowledge and experience comes responsibility which is Margie's point. She has it exactly right when it comes to sharing what you know in the social media space as opposed to behaving dismissively. I could be smug about pomegranates but what I should do is share why I love them so (as I have above).
Equilibrium is the name of the game.
Whether trying to win new business or keeping current customers happy, there has to be equilibrium. This means that we live in a perpetual circle of good where we share either what's new to someone or reinforce a concept already known but perhaps stated in a different way. Essentially, it's never what we share as it is that we're sharing it in the first place to maintain equilibrium. Most importantly, it's how we share it that sets us apart from others.
Why? Let's remember our school days. The teacher was at the front of the classroom sharing new concepts and was in a position of authority. Some teachers loved power and could make life miserable if we "didn't play by the rules" in the classroom. It felt like teaching us was their way of extending a favor which created fear (and loathing). The lesson wasn't the content but that of leverage.
Other teachers created a community and shared information that fed our curiosity and flamed our passion for more knowledge. The lesson also wasn't the content but the spirit of asking for and receiving tools to further our success. We were grateful for what we learned and asked for more.
Be a pomegranate.
Today as we're trying to win new or retain business, let's keep that schoolroom image in mind. Do we really want to approach business development with an obvious addition to power with a dash of smug? Do we really want to be the business that loves power and uses our product/industry knowledge leverage over customers? I didn't think so.
Like the pomegranate, we should be a symbol of love and fertility to new and existing customers. How we engage with others should be based on sharing what we know to help them become more successful. It will flame the passion for more which we should gladly provide.
What say you? Please share below and, if you've enjoyed this, please share with others.
Parissa Behnia
Idea Chef
678Partners@gmail.com
678Partners.com
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