Young adults are increasingly stressed and depressed by the fear of other people’s judgment. And recent studies suggest that young adults feel growing pressure to be flawless.1
Wharton School of Business professor, Adam Grant states, “The spike is especially pronounced for concerns about making mistakes and being seen negatively by others. And this fear of judgment is a significant risk factor for anxiety and depression. Focusing on perfectionism, Grant says it stems from “unreasonably demanding expectations and unduly harsh criticism.”
So, what does this have to do with Business as Mission?
Grant speaks to teachers, parents, and coaches in his recent comments, but I believe the insights are also relevant and important for others in BAM business leadership – donors, investors, board members, and advisors. An ongoing Business as Mission Global Think Tank Consultation suggests “…often BAM practitioners are at a unique intersection of business and mission with little to no support or resource provision for their personal and inter-relational well-being.” The work groups in their research have suggested various aggravating factors resulting in burnout and loneliness. One of those is unrealistic expectations, something strongly linked to Grant’s perfectionism.
Many small legacy BAM operations are funded by Christians with a strong missional motivation, anchored in the Great Commission. Oftentimes, they judge the success of a BAM business using spiritual criteria, even near the start of the operation. This can put unnecessary pressure on the operator, causing him or her to utilize unrealistic metrics, focus on perfectionism, and eventually experience burnout. Some pastoral leaders have been known to say, “BAM doesn’t work,” because of ignorance of what it takes for success in unreached, underprivileged, and undeveloped areas of the world.
We who are donors, investors, and coaches can help mitigate negativity in the BAM ecosystem by reinforcing these messages suggested by Grant1.
- Mistakes don’t make you a failure. They make you a learner.
- Achievements are not a symbol of your worth. They’re a snapshot of your performance.
- Beating yourself up doesn’t make you stronger; it leaves you bruised. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a good friend.
- It’s impossible to please everyone. Decide whose opinion matters to you—and whose doesn’t.
- Character is not revealed by how many setbacks you face. It’s forged by how you face them.
- People gauge your competence mostly by your hits, not your misses.
- The objective is not to be the best; it’s to get better. The person you’re competing with is your past self, and the bar you’re setting is for your future self.
- Our biggest regrets aren’t actions, they’re inactions. Don’t set yourself up to wish you’d taken more chances.
- Healthy goals include two targets: an aspirational result and an acceptable outcome. If you fall anywhere between them, you haven’t failed.
- Success is not a straight line. It’s a squiggly line.
* Jenny Nuccio, CEO of Imani Collective in Mombasa, Kenya says, “I have failed a lot in this journey and have learned from those hard knocks…but when falling, I made sure I was always faced forward and that I always ended back on my feet.”
* James Bartle, founder of Outland Denim in Cambodia states, “It would be wrong to avoid the challenges one faces in a business…it is all about obedience and perseverance in the call of God.”
* Lee started a business in Azerbaijan and partnered with a local attorney but soon realized that his partner had run off with the company bank account. I thought he would give up thinking he has missed God’s plan. But “no”, he started up again on a shoe-string, and with good counsel and God’s direction, he was soon experiencing prosperity.
1 https://adamgrant.substack.com/p/theres-more-to-the-mental-health
Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures
Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com