The following set of questions on an online personality test is rather telling of the assumptions we have unthinkingly adopted about what businesslike behaviour is.
I am brief and businesslike.
I am friendly and have difficulty remaining businesslike.
I'm really in between.
Presumably “businesslike” means unfriendly and loquacious. You can probably think of a whole slew of other adjectives that are commonly attached to “businesslike”.
Write down and review a list of what “businesslike” means to you. Would you actually want anything to do with a “businesslike” entity? How do these “businesslike” traits affect an entity’s ability to engage in authentic conversations and build relationships with others?
How “businesslike” are you or your business?
