Businesses And Dojos: Finding The Similarities

I was inspired by a boy that accomplished great things, despite obvious challenges he faced growing up. His story is simple: he was faced with great distress as a child, from a learning disability to a mother that liked to drink a lot. After getting into some trouble, he was introduced to a local dojo, or Japanese martial arts school. Within a year, he not only did well in martial arts, but went on to win multiple awards before getting a scholarship to attend a great school.

Life's challenges can be triumphed through the application of strategies, focus, and a bit of hard work. I've since thought about this young man, and studied the martial arts programs, and their efficient strategies have actually helped me with my own enterprise.

Since dojos are so organized and efficient, I've noted the things they do that could help any business. A dojo, or "place of the way", is the place this boy went to practice his martial arts. It is revered as a temple, and extra care is taken to maintain it's cleanliness and efficiency. It can be a learning space, a teaching space, and a sacred place in which the observance of certain special practices are had. Amazed at the environment a dojo creates, I have explored what it would be like if similar practices were worked into a business setting.

The first thing I think businesses need more of is a respected space. For example, the people who visit a dojo remove shoes. The issue of health is an obvious one, but ultimately it's about a student showing respect for the space. In dojos, an individual will bow when he comes and goes out of the dojo. This doesn't mean people should bow and be barefooted at their place of work – these are merely symbols. The thing to note here is there are practices that can be implemented to inspire the same kind of respect in the work space as can be found in a dojo.

Secondly, it is of importance to recognize the efforts of the members of a business, at every level. For example, rank and station play an important role in dojos, as every member is expected to earn her rank. An easy glance around a dojo gives a quick knowledge of who has earned a rank by the gis (colored belts) that identify the current status and the steps the student took to earn the gis.

As with all things in life, in business there should always be a very clear path, with expectations and milestones noted along the way to the ultimate goal. In dojos, a person always knows how far she has come, where she is now, and where she is going next. It lends perspective, motivation, and breaks up a very impressive large goal into smaller bite-size proportions.

I've found a few businesses that seem to incorporate many of these principles already. It appears they've been successful in nurturing an environment in which the space is respected, people are greatly motivated, and the environment is thriving. In the case of Keith Raniere's NXIVM, similar principles are applied in specialized training groups offered through Executive Success Programs. This company serves as a great example of what it is to successfully introduce dojo-like principles into a professional environment.

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