Marley and Me and Business Relationships

Marley and me, the 2008 movie about a loveable puppy (growing into a large dog) that provided his owner, a newspaper writer, plenty of rich material for his newspaper column, is full of life lessons. It contains a few business lessons, as well.

Growth must be managed to avoid the cleaning up of a lot of messes. Marley was cute and fun as a puppy, but as he grew, he gained no self-discipline. While his owner may have been able to profit from the storylines Marley’s antics provided, there were many losses and costs involved, as well, such as the destruction of possessions and the family’s home.

Like Marley, you should expect your business to grow. But with growth, comes increasing responsibility. A miss-managed business can create havoc, providing negative impact on those who work with you and for you, resulting in the ruination of productivity, profits, and those relationships so vital to the health of your business. A little training could have benefited Marley’s family and saved some major out-of-pocket costs. Likewise, the right training can benefit you and your employees, giving you the needed edge to run your business more efficiently and prevent potential unforeseen financial loss.

But, the bigger lesson offered in the film was the impact of the big old dog on the world he lived in – which included the family to which he was so loyal, and who eventually learned to appreciate him, despite his impulsive behavior. It wasn’t easy living with Marley – but it was even more painful to lose the family pet toward the end of the movie. The reason the movie worked for many viewers, was because it touched the very place that exists so deep within most of us – namely, the need for someone to be there for us, no matter how badly we mess up.

Marley and Me was ultimately about relationships.

How are your business relationships? Do you offer the training needed to make your team more effective? Do you network? Do you support those who make your business possible? Do you appreciate the efforts and loyalty of your staff? Do you give back – or only take – from those who support you? What impact could you and your business make in this big old world?

One tagline for the movie Marley and Me read: "Their relationship wasn’t going anywhere until one little thing tied it all together.” Is there ‘one little thing’ that could tie it all together for you and your business relationships? Find it and adopt it today. Watch your business and the loyalty to it, GROW! The training you provide and the way you handle your business is sure to give you the type of results you desire – and the happy ending that made Marley and Me work.