The Rules of being in business according to Michael Scott

Michael Scott: Well David I will be honest with you. I do want the credit without any of the blame.

David Wallace: Okay.

We all know and love the boss of Scranton Pennsylvania’s own Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. We also simultaneously cringe uncontrollably and unconsciously; laughing at Michael Scott’s antics—yet that laughter has an undertone of embarrassment and nervousness. We want him to stop(the social anxiety of watching him flail/fail/fall and keep mowing onward anyway)—-yet we cannot wait to see more!

We also sometimes feel a touch of pride at his foolishness, as it sometimes leads to great success.

Well, to sum up how he managed to facilitate his own Scranton branch to be recognized as the most successful one of the bunch: (as per conversation with David Wallace here as follows—)

“David here it is, my philosophy is basically this, and this is something that I live by, and I always have, and I always will: Don’t ever, for any reason, do anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you’ve been, ever, for any reason whatsoever,” Michael tells David.

A very eloquent answer by a thoughtful business oriented business-man! 😂 ❤️ And I love it!

Love him or hate him, we can all agree the merit Mr. Michael Scott brings to the table, metaphorically and literally.

Here are a few key points about how to lead a business, according to the idiosyncratic and highly entrepreneurial Michael Scott. Take it or leave it, but do know this...

“People will never be replaced by machines. In the end, life and business are about human connections.” -Michael Scott

In this technology driven world, we all lose focus on the most important aspect of business: money!

Jk, I meant People.

People are the most important part of how we drive our businesses, the needs and wants of our society, our communities and our families.

In the new age of Information Technology, the fastidiousness of information we can get our hands on in a significantly short period of time, limited effort and with minimal assistance of others scarily represents how, more than ever, we must cling to our inherent values of humanity and of course, family.

Michael shows us the value of treating your subordinates and employees like family—

And it pays off, in many ways to many people.

To Pam, who was meek, quiet and basically allowed others to speak for her in the beginning——to growing and emotionally maturing (with the encouragement of the right people including Michael): she finally makes life altering decisions to better herself(ending a relationship that wasn’t working, speaking up more). Even quitting to join Michael in a new business venture!

That’s loyalty you cannot buy!

Well, literally—-he couldn’t anyway.

Real life advice: Try not to hyper focus on sales and numbers so much that you end up losing your interpersonal skills—-socializing and building real and lasting relationships with your employees and subordinates/colleagues is more important than a chart showing your profits for the quarter.

The way you run your business(organization and how you treat your colleagues) can make or break the longevity of that market and the way it lasts throughout different periods of stability and downturns with the economy.

Before my next point here is a quote to end this point: "Make friends first, make sales second, make love third. In no particular order."

Next level business advice: have lots of parties! (And games!)

"Sometimes you have to take a break from being the kind of boss that's always trying to teach people things. Sometimes you just have to be the boss of dancing."

Parties are the staple for The Office. They have one for every occasion, Christmas, birthdays, Saint Patrick’s day,

As is games. Games that last allll day.

Like this little Southern gem:

The lesson from having these types of crazy and sometimes pointless “distractions” is both a cathartic answer and a lesson on what seems to be a waste of time—-that can turn into a huge win in productivity and sales.

Turning something potentially catastrophic and panic driven (their company is in a possibly dangerous financial situation that could cause closings/layoffs), into something creative, fun, collaborative and innovative—-all credits go to Michael Scott! Jim says it best (as co-manager):

Jim: I think today was a good day to have two managers. ‘Cause if you’re a family stuck on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean, one parent might want to just keep rowing. But if the other parent wants to play a game, it’s not because they’re crazy. It’s because they’re doing it for the kids. And I get that now.

Sometimes these things don’t make sense while it is happening, but in the end, the pay off can be great.

Morale on a loose spectrum, where people are coming into work listless, uninspired and bored can lead to decay in the form of:

• The quality of their work
• The way customers are handled, treated and how long they stay in business with you
• Retention rate of employees

Michael has shown that giving that extra personal touch with employees (unexpected meetings and client dinners) can give them the pep and inspiration to go above and beyond their usual dealings and exceed expectations.

Several times Michael has shown us that fun and games CAN help you be more productive were:

The Chiles Lunch with a potentially Huge client! (Creating a real emotional connection creates trust and loyalty. The customer associates that with the company and agrees to the sale.)

Not only did his silly jokes (provided by Pam over the phone) and crazy delaying tactics work----(and singing and ordering lots of apps)----but by opening up emotionally to the client and having his other employee do so as well, he saved his branch from being downsized. This was a pivotal moment to see that yes, downplaying the importance of the sale to let down your guard helps the client also let their guard down.

Real connections develop, and therefore real business opportunities arise.

The real evidence of this is seen in The Initiation.

Corporate, in the spirit of keeping track of time wasting splendor and habits, wants Pam to keep track of everything Michael does to increase productivity.

But, One little problem:

From Bill Cosby impressions, to waiting in line for one hour to get a free pretzel with “the works”... it seems like Michael will have accomplished nothing by the end of the business day.

Napping on his desk, Pam loses hope.

But, coming out—-Michael affirms he landed a safe despite all foibles and shenanigans—-a huge one!

Pam is visibly and audibly shocked, but it’s easy to see that letting off steam, a little bit of child-like wonder and fun and even a bit of foolishness can sometimes lead to something even more productive than a simple long day of repetitive and boring tasks can do.(not to say that can’t yield great results too!)

Well, that’s how business is down in the Michael Scott family way!

And now...

The Business Bitch!

Kelly, AKA the Business Bitch proves to us that personal branding matters!

When you create a business/company, represent who you are in your logo, name and tagline—-make it bold, fresh, original and spunky if you want!

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in a deeply personal way—-not to spill your guts out or anything—-but something that says, “I’m me, this is me, and what I’m selling matters—-because I care about it.”

Branding is all about how you carry yourself and your own personal feelings toward the consumer and the products/services you offer—in the context of marketing and PR.

And lastly—-use the resources available to you!(calling a hottie professor to give you the best tips on business!)

Hope you enjoyed this article! Have a wonderful day—-and of course, Happy reading and Happy writing!!

Please give this a ❤️ If you enjoyed or a small tip for your appreciation! I love you all.