The Best Business Advice Ever

Sometime ago, I was reading a book I like to call, the Ultimate Guide to Excellent conduct and performance; when I saw what I’ll describe as the best business advice ever. The explicitness and truth in that advice was superb. It was very significant; more valuable than a lot of business advices I’ve ever heard from top world business people.

To save you some suspense, the book I was reading then was the Holy Bible, and this best business advice was gotten from:

John 15:2
The ‘He’ there is God. So as you can see, this is the exact productivity strategy of God himself. Superb, I think.
We’ll analyze this powerful advice a bit in order to extract all the possible info therein and understand how it can be applicable to our lives and businesses.
First of all, since we’re dealing in a business context, let’s put some things in place: ‘He’ or ‘God’ in that verse should represent the boss of the enterprise; ‘Branch’ represents an employee or a business idea.
So, here we go.
A.  HE CUTS OFF EVERY BRANCH OF MINE THAT DOESN’T PRODUCE FRUIT
Well, God is the author of all there is including such qualities and values as kindness, mercy, righteousness, etc. he sets the standards for fairness remember? (Proverbs 16: 11).
So, since no one can hope to be as kind, righteous and merciful as God, then He must have a serious reason (or reasons) for deciding to cut off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit.
Could it be one, or several reasons? Well, let’s make some hypothesis.
Hypothesis #1
The man’s order was for the tree to be cut down. Why? Because it failed expectations.
The point here is this: THERE WAS EXPECTATION. It wasn’t really about a first, second or even a thirteenth chance. It was about failing to deliver when you were expected to.
You can’t expect something from anyone without making sure that the person possesses the commensurate power to deliver.
For instance, if you sent someone on an errand, say, to go shopping for you, and you equip the individual with enough money to do the shopping, it wouldn’t be out of place for you to expect that person to come back with the items you asked for.
This, I suppose, is the case here. For the term… ‘that doesn’t produce fruit…’ to be used, it means that the branch has probably never produced fruit and is likely not even in the process of producing fruit.
It’s a case of failed expectation. That’s why that branch should be cut off; because it failed to meet expectation on a continuous basis.
APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
It’s as simple as it sounds (it sounds a bit hard though). It is something that has to be done in order to keep the business alive and running.
I can’t say for sure. In some businesses, failing to meet expectations for 15 minutes in a row (or even less), could be lethal; in some other businesses, not quite.
So, as the boss, take inventory of the situation. Make analyses and take a decision for the survival of your enterprise.
You must be very careful about any cutting off decision. ‘Cutting off’ here might mean transferring an employee to a section of the business that perfectly suits his skills and abilities, and not necessarily showing him a red card.
Hypothesis #2
Master entrepreneurs don’t waste even the smallest unit of resource. Their focal point is always on investment and returns.
So, since we’ve established that enough resources was made available to that branch that failed to produce fruit, what else could be done when such a branch continuously fails to meet up to expectation? 
It should be cut off and precious resources should be saved.
There are dozens of other potentially profitable avenues to invest resources into, so, why waste them in an unfruitful branch?
APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
What you’re running is a business, not a charity organization or a Santa Clause show, and as an entrepreneur, you need to make profits. That’s the very idea of an enterprise.
One of your most important goals hence, is to seal off any holes through which precious resources are likely to seep away; holes like unproductive employees and unprofitable business ideas and strategies.
So, for the sake of saving precious resources and running a profitable venture, cut off the unfruitful branches.
Hypothesis #3
You must take business decisions with closed eyes and clenched fists (not literally though). Sentiments and opinions of non-experts must never influence any business decision you make.
What do you think made God take the hard decision to cut off any unfruitful branch? It was because He meant business. It’s a hard decision; a bitter pill, but it is one that must be swallowed for the betterment of the business.
Your enterprise, boss, is bigger than any singular individual (and that’s including you), so whatever decision you wish to make, let it be for the overall benefit of the enterprise and not for the satisfaction of any person or group of persons.
APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
If it happens to be that it was your mother or wife, or childhood pal that became the unfruitful branch, your decision must not be altered in any way. What if the unfruitful strategy or idea came from you, the boss? 
Your decision must not be altered still. That idea has to use the door.
Who/what has to be cut off has to be cut off. No apologies; no sentiments. You should however make it clear as politely as possible that your decision is not meant in any way to hurt anyone, but for the enterprise to survive.
Whatever you must do, you should never sentimental, you should cut off any unfruitful branch.
Hypothesis #4
God possesses all the keys to success and excellence and He is willing to show us. All we need to do is just to look- search and you will find.
APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
B.  AND HE PRUNES THE BRANCHES THAT DO BEAR FRUIT SO THEY WILL PRODUCE EVEN MORE
You know, there’s something very terrible that a lot of bosses do and I must make serious mention of it. 
A lot of bosses tend to ignore those that are doing very well in their jobs and focus on those doing badly. No, no, no. this should never happen. You already know what to do with the unfruitful branches. 
As for the fruitful ones, you should prune them, so they can perform better. So their productivity can be multiplied.
What is pruning and how is it done? Big question. Literally, pruning in Agriculture is the activity of cutting off the branches from a tree so that it will grow better and stronger.
Well, em… I’m not really into plants, trees, & you know, agriculture, so I can be pardoned, I suppose, if I ask this. Is it really logical that cutting off branches from a tree can make it grow better and stronger? (I guess I need a farmer friend).
Anyway, logic is king, so, let’s take it from the logical point of view.
It is already an established practice that pruning makes a tree grow stronger and better. Meaning that such a tree (or branch) has a greater ability to bear fruit.
My thinking cap is on, and I can see that I’m coming up with quite interesting stuff. Excessive branches, twigs, etc, on a tree saps away needed nutrients for such a tree to bear fruit. So, my logic is that pruning will remove all these unnecessary twigs, and so, enabling the main branch or tree to get all the nutrients it can possibly get, in order for it to grow to its maximum and bear as much fruit as it has the capacity to produce. (How’s my logic?).
                 APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
The same way a tree is pruned in order to maximize productivity, an employee or an idea should be subjected to pruning for greater output.
We must be careful to note that pruning is not done on unfruitful branches. It is done only on those branches that do bear fruit, why? So they will produce even more fruit.
Gentlemen and ladies, what other formular of increased productivity do you need? The perfect way to increase productivity is to remove all excesses; all unnecessary responsibilities, engagements, activities and so. All these sap away precious resources that should have been fed only to the main branch or idea.
Business needs focus to grow. All bosses and employees must get this idea in its entirety. All your activities should be tested; all your business strategies must be carefully scrutinized; all employees (the fruitful ones) must be analyzed with one singular objective in mind- to eliminate all unnecessary activities, engagements, ideas and responsibilities that drain energy but doesn’t lead to increased output.
 Every successful idea or employee must be pruned. That is the only way to increase output. In any job, there is a main idea, a primary objective where every other activity stem from. This should be given priority and focus and energy above everything else.
Make the analysis yourself and take immediate action.
WHAT IF I’M NOT THE BOSS?
If you’re not being productive, you don’t need to wait to be cut off; you can work on yourself and be productive. If you are producing fruit already, you can prune yourself and become more productive.
So guys, I suppose you’ve learnt a thing or two. We’ve discussed so much and now is tome for action, so dust your pants and get to work.
x

‘… He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.’

Powerful, isn’t it? Do you mind reading it again, please? What do you think?

Strong measure, isn’t it? Does this decision appear unkind? Oh, come on, this is close to being plain callous, isn’t it? How could God do this? Shouldn’t he at least give these branches a little time and chance to bear some fruit? Isn’t he the all-merciful, righteous and all-kind God?

EXPECTATION

First, no mention was made in that verse if the branches that were cut off were given another chance to see if they could bear any fruit. We wouldn’t want to conclude that they weren’t, neither do we wish to assume that they were. But let’s be factual here. Call to mind a time when Jesus gave a parable about a fig tree that a certain man planted and for three years, it couldn’t bear any fruit. 

If there is an employee or even a business strategy that has repeatedly failed to meet expectations, even when adequate wages, incentives, etc., have been employed, then that employee or strategy should be cut off.

Is there a time interval to give before action is taken? 

RESOURCES

Secondly, I personally see God as the master entrepreneur, for example, He invested 1 unit to gain hundreds of millions and billions of units. And one striking quality of all master entrepreneurs and business people is their carefulness about not wasting precious resources.

I guess this one isn’t difficult for you to figure out. You can’t keep funding an idea or paying wages to an employee that you’re not getting commensurate returns from.

MEAN BUSINESS

What do I mean by ‘mean business’? Well, let’s explain it this way. As a business owner, you should of course, smile and chat with employees, friends, family and the like. It is not only healthy for business, it is also healthy for the body. You must learn however never to mix sentiments and pleasure with business… not in the least.

For you to run a successful business, sentiments and favoritisms of any kind must be thrown out of the window.

AN EXAMPLE

Why did God have to reveal His methods to us? Well, I guess it was to show us an example of how things should be done. An example of how a business is to be run. No mention of business was made in that verse, I know. But our theories and hypotheses so far are fitting, aren’t they?

Your business/enterprise is not something that begins and ends with you as the boss. If you’re ambitious, your enterprise should outlive you; and hence must be built on solid foundations. So, live and run your business with such values as integrity, honesty, and above all, live your talk. Let your character be a clear representation of the values you so profess. Be an Example.

OK. Now that we’re through with the cutting off. Now is the time to learn what to do next, and that is pruning of the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

I know, some of you are really smart and have already started making the correlations.

It appears that I’ve directed my article to the bosses alone. So, you’re there wondering if all these applies to you. Sure it does. Anywhere you are in the chain of an organization, these principles perfectly apply to you as well.

 DOES THIS SOUND TOO HARD???

I guess it's very easy for me to say, 'do this', 'do that', but you'll realize that in reality, it's more difficult than it sounds. If any of the principles here sound too hard to apply, for example, the cutting off part, you can choose this alternative. 

Laying off employees isn't something a boss likes to do. If you discover that an employee is still relevant to other parts of the company, transfer them, instead of laying them off entirely. I guess this one isn't too hard.

See you at the top!!!