Ever wanted to stop that routine job you are doing and start a business? Or start a group to do something useful in life, parent-teachers association, charity club etc. Perhaps the wages are not good, the lifestyle not what you want, the freedom to live according to your schedule rather than be at the beck and call of others, an impulse to help others. Whatever the reason is or isn’t, the next step is to think about how you would do it. Solo, partnership, limited company etc. The list of possibilities can be confusing and the two that seem intuitive to most people are either going solo or doing it together with others. It is the second that I wish to share my 36 ‘C’-crets about.
Not really a mnemonic fan but finding them sometimes useful I wondered if I could put enough words beginning with the letter ‘C’ to describe what are the key ingredients to a successful partnership. I don’t think these are just applicable to partnerships in business but any endeavour in which people work together in teams. As my source of inspiration I have drawn upon the world’s greatest example of teamwork, the life and times of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his ‘co-workers’, the Companions.
| Caution | In balanced measure to avoid being reckless but not too much to avoid being timid. |
| Challenge | All the team members, let everyone feel they can hold the others to account and give them the space to do so. The so called 360 degree feedback. |
| Chance | Exploiting chances when they arise. |
| Clarity | Of what is expected. Why are you doing this? What are the main aims? Money, quality of life, altruism, Allah? |
| Class | A touch of class – your USP (Unique Selling Point) |
| Cognizance | Of the idea, preferably through your own experience in such a field. |
| Co-location | For an idea to take off face to face interaction between team members is best. |
| Combative | spirit to fight and struggle against the barriers that inevitably occur. |
| Combustion | Money that needs to be burned before the business is self supporting. You need to keep your business, self, family going through the initial lean times. Somewhere around 2 years. |
| Comfort | Of knowing you have the support of those near and dear. If your wife is dead against the idea – think again. |
| Commitment | 100% – No backing out. Burn your boat, no going back. Have a do-or-die mentality. |
| Communication | Channels between team members should be open and it should be regular. No going off and doing your own thing |
| Companions | Want for your brother what you want for yourself. Think about your team members and they will think of you. |
| Compatibility | Are the team members compatible? Choose carefully when you start, you might be great in limited situations but when the going gets tough you’ll really find out who you are dealing with. Acid tests: do business with a guy, travel with him, be his neighbour. This was the advice given by the second Caliph Umar. |
| Competition | Knowing the competition inside out, but not overstepping the boundaries. |
| Complete | Transparency 100% transparency required in business dealings with the team members especially where money is involved. |
| Compliant | Is the idea halaal (legal)? |
| Compos Mentis et Valetudo | Sound of health and mind, business is very stressful, best done if your fit and well. |
| Comprehension | Thorough comprehension of the task involved and its requirements. |
| Concentration | No multiple ideas. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid principle), start simple and build up. |
| Confession | In your own weaknesses. |
| Confidence | In your idea and your own willingness to succeed |
| Confidential | Don’t tell the world until you are ready. |
| Conscience | of Allah’s laws and the rights of fellow man. |
| Consensus | Don’t ram rod your ideas on others, get them on board and listen. In your meetings ask yourself ‘Am I listening or am I waiting to speak?’ |
| Consistency | Of effort of work. Remember the last 20% of effort will take 80% of your time. |
| Contingency | Planning, what to do if things go wrong. |
| Control | Believing that the locus of control i.e. the ability to change starts with you and is not in someone else’s hands. What a friend of mine called tawakkul juice. |
| Conviction | Of Allah’s help. |
| Cooperation | Obvious but true! |
| Cordiality | Partners fall out, the best get back together and become stronger. |
| Courage | In leaping into the unknown |
| Courtesy | To all those around you – co-worker, competitors and customers. Good manners can win the world. |
| Co-vision | No pulling in different directions. |
| Crafty | Ready to change or add ideas depending on opportunities. |
| Cultivation | of new ideas, talent and the next generation. |
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