'Birth, not worth, has become a key determinant of people’s chances,’ are the words of former Labour MP Alan Milburn, as the heated debate about social mobility, or lack of it, rages on.
But instead of pulling apart our schools and businesses, why not look instead to our own aspirations and children’s aspirations? Ask yourself what you want out of life and how you are going to realise your ambitions to make your business work?
In Britain today, maybe the real problem isn't social mobility. Maybe that’s the symptom or a catch 22. The problem is the lack of aspiration, the indifference, the apathy. Attitudes and work ethics are changing and the ‘get-up-and-go’ is lacking in so many people. There are many reasons which could be attributed to this: the recession, unemployment or it could be a general outlook on life and the belief that we can’t achieve our goals because of who we are and where we’re from.
Aspirations are what drive people and especially entrepreneurs and the concept of social mobility, or the lack of it, is a direct result of our mindset.
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More and more people focus on what they are entitled to but not what they can give back to a community. The lack of aspirations and direction is a big part of this. There needs to be a greater focus on inspiring people and helping them identify what they want to do. To set up a business and make it successful takes focus, determination and hard work and there's no room for complacency, especially in the recession. Inspiration needs to be there to encourage aspiration.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with 'anonymous'. In my experience, this is all to do with our 'locus of control' - interesting stuff! If people have an 'external' locus then they perceive their life as being determined by outside influences e.g. "the government", "the banks", "other people". This external locus and perception means that those individuals often feel helpless to change anything, let alone aspire to something like entrepreneurial activity. An 'internal' locus indicates an individual who is prepared to face challenges in a belief that you can change your own future by your own actions. In my experience people can change the positioning of that locus of control - In our, "who's in the driving seat?" workshop, that's exactly what individuals can explore. And having identified an 'external' locus can then be supported to unpick the reasons for it and how it is so closely linked to an imbalance in their 'Perception Lens' (this can easily get damaged along the road of life!!) So for me this means more, more, more Personal Development workshops for people who are thinking about starting a business, and they should be run by people who know how. NOT the "well let's have a look at your business plan" approach that is the stuff of so many support programmes. If you're going to help someone GROW a business, you have to help them GROW themselves first.... and that starts with aspirations!! Right .... off my soap box!!
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