People Addiction Can Hurt Your Business

Some people call people addiction "codependency". This is a very complex condition that is not understood by very many people. Sometimes people grow up in a family or environment where there are specific problems. These might include abuse, addictions or serious illness. In order for a child to survive this, s/he may learn to ignore their own individual needs for the sake of the offending individual in the family or for the sake of the family.

There are certain rules in dysfunction families that usually include "don't feel" and "don't talk". Everyone is focussed on "fixing" the person who is addicted or tiptoe around the abuser in order to keep the peace.

These behaviours become "normal" for the child who then moves on into other relationships where people tend to have problems. Their goal is to help fix the life of the other person and, in their attempts to do so, ignore their own needs. If the person is doing well, self-image goes up and if the person does not do well, self-image goes down.

The addict or abuser becomes dependent on the substance or their own behaviours to get through the day. The other person becomes codependent on the dependent person. At first, the codependent might look like a hero who is respected and admired for their caring and long-suffering stance. Over time, however, they might be considered annoying or ridiculous by the person who s/he is trying to fix.

When you are running a business, you need to not only be clear about any codependent attitudes or behaviours that you are using but also be aware of similar situations in your staff or clients. You see, if you are focussed on changing other people and focus all your time and attention on that, you are doing the wrong thing.

We cannot change other people! We can encourage them to change and provide an environment where they can explore their options but we cannot change them - no matter how much you think that your way will be better for them.

People addiction causes you to ignore the business tasks that will help your business to grow. You can be stuck on issues of a couple of people and find that you do not have anything left for other clients or activities. The good news is that those who are codependent or have a people addiction can learn how to deal with things in a healthier manner. First you need to be aware of the situation. Then you have to make a commitment to get the professional help you need in order to make the healthy choices.

Do it now or you will soon be seeing the negative effects of this situation and realize that hurt that it can have on your business.