Relationships Must be Run Like a Fortune 500 Business

Last week I was a guest on WYMS (Why You Mad Son?) radio on BlogTalkNetwork. We were discussing my article  “Part 3 – Are Black Women Stupid?” that addresses the way black women need to get it together and handle their relationships with men. In case you haven’t read the series yet, you can find part one here.

Most of the men disagreed that relationships are like a business. They couldn’t see that my use of the term “business” and “spending” were allegorical in nature, so they took the words of the article much too literally.

One gentleman was adamant that “…it’s not a business. western society–gold drunk, status mad western society equates everything to money making business and strike a pose status. A relationship is a human social construct that has nothing to do with a business.”

Though I have NO idea what he was mumbling about, I do understand that he disagreed with me. But I am right and he is wrong. Let me tell you why.

Relationships have everything to do with a business!! Relationships are a business, and when women don’t understand this concept and let their relationship become a free-for-all based on their “feelings” is when it blows up in their face and turns to absolute dog poop. Unaware women also waste time aligning themselves with emotionally busted, spiritually struggling, morally bereft and financially broke dudes that bring nothing of value to the business of the relationship.

Relationships, just like a business, must be structured, properly financed, have a clear mission statement, and divisions run by those most qualified to lead that division. There is a product (the family) and it must be developed to reap a profit (success for all members of the household) in the end.  A woman must start her business (relationship) with a clear vision of what she is investing and what returns she expects to see returned to her for the time, energy and effort invested.

Women must screen candidates for the position to be President of the company. Black women must stop with this “the man should be the head/leader” without ever considering what that man’s true qualifications are for leadership!  A smart business owner wouldn’t hire any ole fool off the street to be CEO of Chevron, Starbucks or Xerox, right? A woman’s heart, body, future and mind should be no less important to her than the profits of a publicly traded corporation’s shareholders.

Women should establish strict requirements, which could include education and suitability for the “corporate culture” of her family. She must have a hiring agreement so that everyone knows the expectations and deliverables of the position. If that man feels that he is a qualified candidate, he should submit his resume and be “interviewed” to explain why his track record makes him the best candidate for the job of her CEO.

She must be smart and do a full cost/benefit analysis of each candidate before hiring him, or even bringing him on as a “temp.” She should look at him as being a long-term investment in the growth, success and profitability of the corporation and all its stake holders (her family, his family and the family they create together).

And if dude ain’t worthy ON ANY FRONT, he should not be hired no matter how much he wants the job. If he was already on the job but later proved that he couldn’t handle the responsibilities and obligations for which he was hired, he should be promptly terminated.

Whether he doesn’t qualify from the jump, or disqualified himself for poor performance, the search must continue until the proper hireling is found and the business can become the profitable, awe inspiring machine it was designed to be.

Smart women run their relationships like a business. That’s it, and that’s all.