Refreshing Your WHY
By Dave Blum
I was re-watching Simon Sinek’s great TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” and realized it had been far too long since I had refreshed my “Why”.
Now what do I mean by my “Why”?
As you can see from Sinek’s chart above, your “Why” sits at the center of a target representing your life. Moving outward from the center, in the next ring you find your “How” and in the ring outside of that, your “What”.
The “Why” is your mission, your reason for doing everything you do. It’s your belief system. The “How” and the “What” are simply outward manifestations of your “Why”.
To make this concept more concrete, let me outline the “Why” for my business, Dr. Clue:
Our WHY: Everything we do at Dr. Clue is informed by the belief that the world is full of hidden, little-known wonders, many of them right in front of us, in plain sight. We believe that:
- Discovering these wonders is a privilege (to be treated with respect).
- Discovering these wonders is more fun when you’re doing it together with others
- Discovering these “treasures” is more satisfying and enriching when you’re overcoming significant, stimulating challenges
That’s our belief system. That’s our Why.
As for the What and the How:
- WHAT we do is team-building treasure hunts & charity events.
- HOW we do it is via facilitated programs (in person and virtual), 1.5-3 hours in length.
- Anything new we create in the future will arise from our Why.
Do you see how this works?
So what’s YOUR “Why”?
If you run a business, you sure better know your Why. Your clients and stakeholders are eager to know what you believe in, what you stand for. They want a cause to follow, with you in the lead.
If you’re not heading up an organization, why not create a personal Why?
My own personal Why would include something like:
- I’m here to develop functional, communicative relationships that stimulate both me and my loved ones, giving joy to all.
- I’m here to share the excitement of travel and puzzles.
- I’m here, as the Buddhists might say, to “Do no harm”; to leave the world in a better place than I found it.
Again, what’s your Why? Send me your answers; I’d live to see them.
dave