A while ago, I mentioned to you about how I have a daughter who studies philosophy and literature in college. We’ve discussed multiple different ways her world of arts and my world of business coincide and have even produced a blog from one of those very discussions. Today is another addition to those that I have already shared with you. This day is a day we take some advice from the greatest playwright of our time and apply it to the business world, because what Shakespeare taught us about love and war, he can also teach us about business. Today’s topic: The Taming of the Shrew.

 If you are unfamiliar with the plot of the play, here is a very brief summary: There are two sisters: beautiful and gentle Bianca and her more outspoken and unpleasant sister, Katharina. While Bianca has a number of suitors, their father insists that Bianca cannot be married until her elder sister is first. All of Bianca’s suitors are annoyed by this so they bribe a man named Petruchio to wed Katharina. He agrees and takes her to his country home and denies her food and sleep while complimenting her at the same time. His behavior ends up working on her and in the end she becomes even more of a submissive wife than her younger sister.

What can this play teach us about modern day comings and goings? Well…

1. The best kind of partnership is one that is equal. While Petruchio and Katharina eventually get along because she succumbs to his will, it cannot be said that their relationship is a particularly healthy one. She is fearful of him and agrees with him because of this as opposed to because she actually agrees with the ways in which he sees the world. This is a good thing to look at when it comes to business partnerships as well. While another company who is flashier or more popular may seem like a company to make a partnership with, it is always good to look deeper and do proper research before jumping into or agreeing to anything. You never know what you might find if you look just a little deeper.
2. Beauty isn’t everything. I am not talking about beauty in the literal sense, though that is the form in which it takes in this play. I mean that, in the confines of the play, the less beautiful of the two sisters ended up being what could be considered a better wife because she is more adaptive and knows how to handle herself in situations she would rather not be in. This could be said about any business partnership as well – while one company may be more aesthetically pleasing up front, another may be more beneficial to you and your dealings in the long run.

 The point of these blogs is to remind you that the best ways to handle your business and lessons to learn these things by can be found just about anywhere and the sooner you start looking, the more you will find in places you would never expect. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.