What makes you get up in the morning and do what you do?
Why does your business exist?
Why do you lead others?
Why do we do the things we do?
What would happen if your business ceased to exist tomorrow? Who would suffer because of that?
These are some of the questions I have been thinking about this morning. Some of the work I do is helping people figure this out. The reason why this question is so important is if you don’t know the answer to it, you are likely to not have an anchor, a solid ground, or a true north to look to when life gets a little rough or when the pawpaw hits the fan.
In these moments, the moments when you are slide swiped by life, what makes you get back up again and what direction do you start heading? Because if you don’t have a clear WHY it is easy to get side tracked along the way.
Why do we exist?
I lead leadership teams through this question all the time and to look at it on the surface it looks like a really simple question. Well, it really isn’t if you do it probably, it takes more time than you think and this often frustrates my clients, because they think it shouldn’t because they kinda know, but when you get a room full of people and ask this question it always amazes me how much work needs to happen in order to answer it and those who truly struggle through it are the ones who come with the best results in the end. This question kicks up all sorts of questions around it.
Once answered it is a powerful question that keeps the whole business on track and safe from derailing and getting side tracked by those shiny opportunities that don’t lead anywhere. It is a question that gives that team the stability when their world is being rocked by uncertainty. It makes decisions easier because it acts as the true north.
So, are you and your leadership clear about your ‘why do we exist’ question? It should be something that is bigger than all of you, it should be worthy to suffer for, it should be something you inspire your team with.
Need help with your WHY? It would be my privilege to help.
Tracey
Leaving you here with a quote from Pablo Picasso that seems fitting:
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
