Have you heard of the Mona Lisa effect?

The way the Mona Lisa is framed, hung, and lit is special.

The theory is, the effect would not be the same it was framed, hung, and lit in a different museum, in a different city, in a different country.

The French call it terroir. It has to do with the way that the soil and climate in a region contribute to the flavour of the food.

This is because of the soils mineral content, the amount of sun and rain it gets, the local vegetation etc, all that is different in each region.

Say you’re going to make cheese or wine using the same recipe in two different places.

The animals in one place will be grazing on different vegetation from those in others, and the grape vines will be growing in different soil with differing amounts of sun and rain.

Which means, because the terroir is different, the cheese and the wine will taste different, even if you follow the same process for making them.

It’s the same in business too.

Every community has its own character, which is sort of its own terroir. If you’re really rooted in your community, its going to have a big impact on the way you act and how the local community see you.

The opposite is also true with food and business…

When you mass produce food you strive to take the terroir out. The whole idea is to remove any variations due to climate, soil, or season.

Big corporations work hard to make sure people throughout the organisation are following the same rules, living up to the same standards, working towards the same goals, reflecting the same values.

And there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it just means that you’re no longer rooted in the local community.

It’s a choice. You’re either hell bent on growing within and supporting your local community, or you plan to grow nationally or globally, where you’re no longer routed within the community.

Our office technology solution business is firmly rooted in the North West of England, and everything we do is geared towards providing employment and world class service in this region.

We also support many charities and local initiatives, from planting over 2,000 trees with a mental health charity to operating corporate responsibility programs with various support organisations.

This is who we are, and we believe it’s the right approach for us to take and is allowing us to grow at a steady and manageable pace, through word of mouth and recommendations.

…does your organisation benefit from the Mona Lisa effect?