The Past, The Future, and Radical Nuns

None of it made any sense to me. Mercyhurst felt like the literal example of having one foot locked in the past while the other keeps reaching toward the version of the future it thinks it needs to be to survive. How long could that possibly go on before it rips itself in half?

So what’s this have to do with business?

As a business consultant, I was totally triggered. “What is this place? What is Mercyhurst’s brand?” I asked Joe and his friend Sarah on our car ride home.

“Is it the place on the Register of Historical Landmarks or the one offering esports and cyber? What’s the value proposition that’s going to make students want to come here and pay these astronomical admission fees?” (Another issue in the business model, but I digress.)

Sarah, who used to give tours as a campus ambassador, chimed in. “Mercyhurst isn’t for everyone, but if you’re the kind of student that wants to get involved, then it’s for you.”

That’s about as unspecific as it gets. It’s like when my clients tell me that their people or their quality of service is their competitive advantage. Everyone says that. It’s not unique. If you think that about your business too, you need to re-evaluate.

“I always considered our specialized programs as what makes Mercyhurst stand out,” Joe offered.

That’s closer, I thought. But it’s missing any connective tissue to all this history that’s in your face.

It’s a tough challenge. How can you possibly be both things? A historical college rooted in the values and traditions of the Sisters of Mercy and the innovative and forward thinking institution it wants to be.

The truth is, you can’t.

Michelle was right. Spreading your legs isn’t a great way to build a life, a business, or a university. It causes conflict and confusion. It makes things feel strained, even stuck.

The past and future aren’t static

In both life and business, the only way to move forward is to take a step. And you have to take your foot out of the past in order to take that step into the future. Then one day, your future will become your present and your present will become your past, and you’ll be ready to take the next step.

It’s something that’s easier said than done. We hold on to the past without even knowing it. The stories we tell ourselves about who we are or what our business is feel as real and valid as the day they were formed. And when our present becomes our past, it happens without us even noticing.

So often when I talk to business owners about their business model, they get all mixed up talking about what they want their business to become in the same breath as describing the way things used to work (before everything got messy). It’s very difficult for owners to draw that line between what the business was, is, and wants to become. They’re just too in it. They’re too attached.

If Mercyhurst were a client of mine, I’d challenge them to honor their history without trying to live it. Instead of registering as a historical place, what would it look like to take the principles of the Sisters of Mercy – service, justice, inclusivity – and radically mold students into future leaders that will better our world?

What if instead of being the school of the Sisters of Mercy in 1926, Mercyhurst was the school of today’s sisters? The ones who are protesting on the border to protect immigrants, who are biking around Sacramento caring for the unhoused, and who are fighting to end gun violence and protect transgendered rights.

Creating future leaders with the spirit of radical modern nuns. Now that’s a brand!

So as I continue to ponder the question of how to keep myself grounded in the present while reaching toward the future, I challenge you to do the same about your business and yourself.