Growing up in West Africa, Liberia to be exact, the worst thing you could say after hitting or hurting someone was, “I did it intentionally.”  I have observed drama being abated by the words “it was unintentional, sorry”.

Intent: intention or purpose |  Intention: a thing intended; an aim or plan.

As individuals or businesses, are you intentional with every action or most of your actions?  The basic auditing question to assist is performing the “atomic why”.  An atom is the smallest particle, the most basic component in a chemical element. We will transpose the definition from the element to being your action.  The atomic why is your most basic reason for an action.

The atomic why breaks down all your statements with the question why. When your answer to “why” has been exhausted, you are down to the basic reason why you made the statement or why you are performing an action.  If during the heuristic process your reasoning isn’t aligned with whatever beliefs or goals you are aspiring toward – rethink your action.

Businesses have to be intentional at birth.  Being intentional begins with writing down your jumbled thoughts and plans on a napkin or a pad, researching every piece of your plan that you don’t understand, finding experts and individuals who can execute  those plans, testing the execution and tweaking the plan for public consumption.

Business Modeling and Development, Growth and Development, Service Management, Brand Management and Marketing Management are all key components that need to be addressed in different phases of business development.  Every aspect of your business can be tweaked. Every business needs “continuous development” or else a miasma of slow decay will begin to occur.  If you do not know what needs to be tweaked, let someone *hint: I am opening a management consulting business soon – GO WOLFPACK MBA!* who understands that aspect of your business assist so that a fledgling business can become mature and successful over time.

So as I purposefully landed the slap across my opponent’s forearm, so hard that the nose-bleed seats could hear the tiny ellipses that follow such a distinct sound, I make a solemn face, place both of my hands in a merciful way (palms slightly turned up waist high), bite my inner lower lip and … “Man, it wasn’t intentional”. *wink*