Business Lessons from Alice in Wonderland

The 4th of July is known as "Alice in Wonderland" day, and in the celebration of such we decided to draw parallels between this classic tale and the corporate world, and the lessons that can be extracted from them.?

First published in 1865, Alice in Wonderland holds a powerful grip on the imaginations of millions of people - the young generation and grown-ups - who grew up reading or watching the incredible adventures of Alice in their childhood. Besides that, the fantastical story, with its wacky characters and logic-defying Wonderland, provides a major source of inspiration, especially for those navigating their businesses, chasing sales targets, and following the 9 to 5 grind.??

Let us dive into Alice in Wonderland and draw inspiration from it together.??

The Alice Quotes - Help your audience visualize??

"And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” —Chapter 1, Down the Rabbit-Hole??

When you are creating presentations, crafting emails, or sales pitches, borrow inspiration from Alice. Rephrase the question to fit your requirements and then build on it.??

Just like Alice does not find a book worthwhile without pictures and conversations, so does your audience think about your creations and interactions when they lack visual imagery and storytelling components.??

Even when you are delivering your pitch through cold calling on the phone, choose words that can help people visualize, enabling them to understand the context better.??

Remember, your audience is just a grown-up version of Alice.?

Find Something Praiseworthy in your Opponent?

The following dialogue challenges the universal adage, that honesty is the best policy, showing how Alice is aware that there are times when this is not the case. Yet, she does not lie.?

“How do you like the Queen?” said the Cat in a low voice.??

“Not at all,” said Alice: “She’s so extremely—” Just then she noticed that the Queen was close behind her, listening so, she went on “—likely to win, that it’s hardly worthwhile finishing the game.” —Chapter 8, The Queen’s Croquet-Ground??

At times, we must interact with, lie to, fawn over, and humble ourselves before influential people who take advantage of their position of power. That lowers our worth in the eyes of our peers and, worst of all, affects our self-worth.??

Do what Alice does in her predicament. Find some quality in your opponent that is worthwhile and use that truth to acknowledge them first in your eyes and those around you.??

The Eaglet Quote - Seriously, drop the jargon??

“Speak English!” said the Eaglet. “I don’t know the meaning of half those long words, and, what’s more, I don’t believe you do either!” —Chapter 3, A Caucus Race, and a Long Tale??

I am sure you have felt annoyed when the other person has peppered their conversation with technical terms, jargon, and fancy SAT words even when they do not have a command of them fully, leaving gaps in your understanding.??

At some point, we all commit this blunder either to impress our superiors and peers or simply because we assume they have a grasp of those words.??

Make it a rule to convey your ideas, plain old facts, and any other information in bite-size pieces using words that will be understood by all - CEOs, engineers, finance and sales guys, and the newcomers in your team.??

The Dodo Quote - Don't tell, do?

The Dodo Quote - Don't tell, do?

“The best way to explain it is to do it.” —Chapter 3, A Caucus-Race, and a Long Tale??

There are times when pictures and words are not sufficient. It applies when you are dealing internally with your team or bringing an innovative product/service to the market.???

Perhaps you want your reluctant team to use a software tool or platform and are facing resistance from them since it requires a learning curve, time, and a certain level of dedication.?

Instead of extolling its benefits, use it yourself and show them.??

Similarly, during peak season, project and sales managers find themselves in harassing situations, when emergencies happen and a few SDRs (sales development representatives) go on leave simultaneously. You might expect your team to pitch in but unfortunately, wearing our blinders, we have a narrow view, limited to achieving our daily quota.?

Given this, the course of action is to notify the top SDRs that they divvy up the cold calling load among themselves and meet the quota. However, this can lead to resentment.??

The best action managers can take is to act by dialing and hitting those leads. By watching you, your team gets spurred on and is ready to pitch in and go the extra mile, while realizing that their manager and team will be there to cover for them just like they are doing for others.?

The Cheshire Cat – Hold onto your ‘craziness’?

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”??

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.??

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.” —Chapter 6, Pig and Pepper??

It is a fact that those who achieve outstanding success - entrepreneurs or professionals - have a touch of fanaticism, leading them to work harder, produce different approaches, and overcome difficulties.??

During their struggling periods, many question their choices, openly finding faults and telling them why they would fail, all under the veil of being concerned for them.??

Your business idea is as wacky as the Mad Hatter, or your chosen profession is not going to make you a ton of money but if that is what you are all about then take heart from the Cheshire Cat's quirky quotes.??

Be mad and follow those dreams.?

The Duchess Quote – The world will not do it, but you can?

“If everybody minded their own business,” the Duchess said, in a hoarse growl, “the world would go round a deal faster than it does.” —Chapter 6, Pig and Pepper??

Another popular character in the story, the Duchess imparts wise words but how do you apply them in your life since none of us can enforce this rule unto others???

You might already be in the habit of minding your own business. However, you might be getting dragged down into other people’s arguments at work or unknowingly carrying their burden. For instance, some employee leaves the job or gets fired, and you subconsciously start weighing your situation, wondering what steps you should take to safeguard yourself.?

Unless you have sound reason to back your worry, start planning, otherwise, focus on yourself and devote your energies to work, that is going to get you ahead instead of mindless worrying. You will notice if you extend Duchess’s advice, in your world, things will happen much faster, and you will be so much closer to achieving your goals.?

The Last Word?

The beloved masterpiece crafted by Lewis Carroll with its witty dialogues and wonderful characters entertains even to this day while providing insights that can inspire you in your everyday life, at work, with clients, and with colleagues.?