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The Eight Principles of Doing Business with Collaboration in the Earth
Benefit Uniqueness Strategy Innovation Necessity Execution Success Sustainability
By Ralph S. Collymore AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Ralph S. Collymore
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4969-6317-8
CHAPTER 1
The Eight Principles
1. Benefit
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us [with benefits, even] the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:19 KJV).
Benefit is the principle that produces value. Benefit has good value. Benefit has sustainable value. Benefit, then, is the principle that produces profit, which the business knows it inherently possesses. Benefit becomes pivotal to the business and the world. Please know and believe the Word of God. I do not hesitate to declare it again. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation" (Psalm. 68:19, KJV). The knowledge of benefit is not necessarily based on the opinion of others. It must be totally believed, known, and acted upon by the business. We see this widow found out that she had the tangible benefit of oil. This is recorded in 2 Kings 4:2 (KJV): "And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil." There is the possibility someone may be reading this book that is in dire fear or FEAR (Focused Enmity Against Righteousness), just as this woman was. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18 KJV). Cry out to God to show you the benefit that you already possess. Totally know and believe that you inherently possess the benefit. Ask God how to engage the benefit in initiating your business in the earth. Any other type of business in the earth can have the same results through starting with the principle of benefit. "For there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:11 KJV).
2. Uniqueness
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3 KJV).
Uniqueness is the principle by which one knows that one's business is the only business that was created to do that work in the earth for which it was created. The business is the only one that can fulfill its role. The business must know its unique vision, purpose, and mission. Such knowledge demands that the business take care of its own business, not that of others. The adage "Mind your own business" is most appropriate here. Life demands that the business spend each day perfecting the uniqueness of its business on the earth. The business is the only one in the earth that can uniquely fulfill what it was created by God to fulfill. God is the creator, and He creates the business to be unique. The business is ultimately responsible for its unique actions. Responsibility is viewed here as the God-given ability (benefit) to which the business uniquely responds. The Word of God says: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).
There cried a certain [unique, author's emphasis] woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. (2 Kings 4:1).
This woman was uniquely identified by Scripture and by herself. The verse uniquely identifies her as a definite woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets. The Word of God also shares uniqueness with us.
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? Jesus knew her uniquely And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. (Mark 5:25–33 KJV)
Note Jesus desires every one of us to uniquely identify ourselves to Him. This is so even if we are lost in the crowd. People may not know you since you may not know who you are uniquely. He also knows you, whoever you may be, and He knows you uniquely, wherever you are right at this very moment. We must uniquely do what that woman did. Let us uniquely have Godly FEAR: Focused Encounter Accepting Righteousness. You are the only you God has ever created. There was no other you, there is no other you, and there will be no other you besides you. Do not let the fear that is not of God (Focused Enmity Against Righteousness) ever consume you. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 KJV).
I recently heard Harvey Mackey, author of the New York Times best seller Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive. I also had a brief conversation with him through the intervention of my daughter Stacey. In his book The Harvey Mackey Network Builder, he counsels,
And remember this the next time you attend a seminar or speech: The person next to you, or in front of you, or behind you, is much more important than the person in front of the room (88)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 KJV). Whosoever is the unique you, you!
3 Strategy
"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21 KJV).
"The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations"(Psalm 33:11 NKJV). Strategy is the principle that enables the business to plan with its benefit and uniqueness. Strategy allows the business to plan the resources that come out of the business with innovation to supply demand satisfaction (necessity) and to direct execution successfully and sustainably. Strategy then allows the business to plan the other business principles purposefully.
Now let us observe how the widow uses strategy as recorded in the excerpt from 2 Kings 4:3 (KJV): "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few." Her efficient and cost-effective movement of goods and personnel were superb (logistics strategy). She set her supply chain in order and used just-in-time strategy for efficient distribution of her product. Her sales strategy was so excellent that it realized a return on investment (ROI) that afforded her the ability to pay off all her debts, set up a retirement plan for herself, and provide lifelong investment plans for her two sons. Her two sons were her employees, and they were fully motivated to function in the production, distribution, and sale of the oil. These two sons were able to live out their lives on the investment plans generated by their mother. "Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest" (2 Kings 4:7 KJV). This widow stuck to the plan that God gave to her through Elisha. She did not deviate by putting her ideas or rationale before the strategies of God the Master Strategist.
4. Innovation
"I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions" (Proverbs 8:21 KJV).
Innovation is the principle of honing your creative ideas and through strategy, bringing them into reality so as to benefit yourself and the world.
God is the only true God. He created the heaven and the earth. God created us in His own image and likeness. We cannot create, but God gives us the ability to innovate. The verses in 2 Kings 4:1–7 imply that this widow was directed by God to use innovation to supply, distribute, and sell oil during a time when the environment was open to good living, although she was not previously a beneficiary of good living. This woman was a widow. Her husband left her in debt so that she was faced with the challenge of giving up her sons to slavery until the debt was paid in full. She was directed by God through the prophet Elisha to use the benefit she had (a pot of oil). She was to distribute and sell the oil with strategy through innovation. Remember, Elisha had asked her what she had in her house. You have to know your benefit so you can be innovative with it. There are times when you have to be asked, "What do you have in your house or your room or your home?" by someone. With the help and leading of the Lord, I ask you, "What do you have in your house today?" Please do not answer concerning your situation, which appears to grow increasingly worse as you speak about it. Instead, make this declaration that Jesus tells you to make. Remember "whosoever" identifies you!
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. (Mark 11:23 KJV)
"Innovation today should be a collaborative infusion of the knowledge of local and global others to enhance the escalation of a product or service" (Håkansson and Waluszewski 2014).
5. Necessity
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 KJV).
Necessity is the principle of providing for the need of others. The business is able to provide for necessity through benefit, uniqueness, strategy, and innovation. Necessity does not encourage waste though. Necessity does not lend support to enabling poverty. Necessity is also utilized by the recipient, who is unable to pay for goods and services for fulfillment. Anything God provides is of great value and must not be relegated to a wasted product God does not encourage waste of any need He supplies. "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost" (John 6:12, KJV). Let us look at how the widow uses the principle of necessity.
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. (2 Kings 4:2–7, KJV)
We see in these verses necessity was supplied through the benefit (the pot of oil), the uniqueness of the business, the strategies employed by the business, and the innovation deployed by the business. The business must always declare, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 KJV). Please note that all need is supplied by God because of necessity. The distribution channels must not be compromised to accommodate waste of any type. In collaboration, scarcity is not a viable option. All need is supplied according to God's glory in Christ Jesus. "We, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1 KJV). It is not scarcity but necessity that contributes to successful sustainability.
6. Execution
"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5 KJV).
Execution is the principle of accomplishing the benefit that is uniquely strategized with innovation to satisfy necessity to completion. The finished product is enshrined with benefit, uniqueness, strategy, innovation, and necessity and potently presented for immediate execution. Execution must be initiated from benefit through uniqueness, strategy, innovation, and necessity. Every business must enact adequate performance in sales through execution. "And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45 KJV). Good sales determine good execution. "So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have" (2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV). The business must have a good sales department. The verse 2 Kings 4:7 implies how loyal customers were involved (collaborating) in the business. These were long-term satisfied customers who grew the business and grew with the business because of execution. Apparently, there were no hostile customers who might have purchased for a while before looking for another source that might be more appealing to them. Then she came and told the man of God that she had maximized her capacity. Execution was perpetuated by this widow by doing what she was told to by Elisha. "And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest" (2 Kings 4:7 KJV). She found out how to execute from the man of God. The business got rid of her indebtedness and provided a ROI that was sufficient to take care of her retirement needs through execution. Always do what God says to do. That always leads to execution.
7. Success
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:8 KJV). The only place that the word success is literally mentioned in the KJV version of the Bible is in Joshua 1:8. Success, though, is further transliterated and mentioned as prudence, being circumspect, wisely understanding, having insight, prospering, and causing to consider. Let us look at the translation count: understand 12, wise 12, prosper 8, wisely 6, understanding 5, consider 4, instruct 3, prudent 2, teach 2, misc. 7, according to the King James Version's dictionary and word search for the Hebrew word sakal" (Strong's 7919) (Blue Letter Bible 2014). Success is an achievement, accomplishment, or triumph. Success is the principle of utilizing benefit, uniqueness, strategy, innovation, necessity, and execution to appropriate profitability for maximum return on investment (ROI). The widow was a success. Both she and her sons were successful. It must be emphasized success achieved in business is not just a financial paradise. Good success is not only recorded in the achievement of Joshua. Good success is given by God as recorded concerning Daniel and his three Hebrew brothers. Success is the reward for the good execution of benefit, uniqueness, strategy, innovation, and necessity. Let us look at the success God promised Daniel and the other three Hebrew boys.
God gave them favor.
Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. (Daniel 1:4 KJV)
God gave them knowledge.
"As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams" (Daniel 1:17 KJV).
God gave them understanding.
"As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth" (Daniel 9:1 KJV).
"And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding" (Daniel 9:22 KJV).
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Eight Principles of Doing Business with Collaboration in the Earth by Ralph S. Collymore. Copyright © 2015 Ralph S. Collymore. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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