There’s a wonderful book out there called The Four Agreements, and it is one of my favorite books. It’s difficult to put into words exactly how it has opened my eyes and my mind, while releasing a whole set of insecurities and burdens from my shoulders.
And I’m not the only one. If you Google The Four Agreements, you’ll find not only the original book but workbooks, discussion groups, inspiring life stories, and many other spin-offs that will make for interesting reading.
The Four Agreements have helped me improve how I relate to people in my personal life and in my business life—and that’s when it dawned on me! What would it mean to apply the Four Agreements to business—particularly communication in business?
What are the Four Agreements?
For those people who are not familiar with the book or the philosophy, I’ll try to give a brief synopsis of what the Four Agreements are. I do this with the caveat though that you should really read the book and discover it for yourself. The potential good you could get out of it is far, far greater than what I could present in this blog.
I like to think of the Four Agreements as practical guidelines so that I don’t get sucked into other people’s drama and dysfunctional perceptions. However, that’s a very biased and limiting view of all that the Four Agreements are and do. That statement is based on one big area in my life in which the Four Agreements helped me.
From a wider perspective, the Four Agreements are agreements we make with ourselves that can help us follow a more joyful path in life. So many times, we limit ourselves and let others limit us. We suffer needlessly following the wrong priorities and believing the wrong perceptions around us. When we follow the Four Agreements, things can become clearer. We can make better decisions and make better actions.
The Four Agreements are:
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Don’t take anything personally.
- Don’t make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
They seem so simple. And yet, they are deep and nuanced once you start studying each one.
I want you to ask yourself, openly and honestly, have you ever let what someone else believes stop you from doing something? Have you ever looked back at the end of the day and thought, “I really wasted some time focusing on the wrong priorities?”
We do this when we write too. If we don’t have a clear vision of what we want to accomplish with our writing, and a good way to accomplish that vision, then chances are very good that the writing isn’t going to be clear. Most likely, it will lack the purpose and direction we want it to have, which means it could lead to unintended consequences.
For the next four weeks, I’m going to examine each of the Four Agreements as they apply to business communication specifically—although don’t be surprised if you find farther reaching implications for them. This very simple path can really simplify—and empower—more than just the professional part of your life.
Lauren Methena is a writer who knows how to sell who lives and works in Richmond, VA. When she is not helping her clients strengthen their own business communication, she is busy spreading the knowledge and the tools necessary to empower people everywhere to write and to communicate better. Friend her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
