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Why start with Why

Introduction

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would take me to the farmer's market. It was one of my favorite things to do with her since it felt so grown up. As we wandered from vendor to vendor, she would often stop and ask a question before buying anything—what were these people's reasons for doing what they did? What were their motivations? Why did they love what they did? And then, once she had all the answers, she'd make her decision: yes or no; buy or not buy. It might seem odd at first glance, but when you think about it—why wouldn't you want to know why someone sells something before buying it yourself?

The golden circle is a model, developed by Simon Sinek and based on the work of Alfred Korzybski, which helps us understand why people do what they do. Think about it like this: if someone asks you what you do for a living and you answer by listing off all the things that make up your job (like "I do Facebook ads," or "I make websites"), they probably won't know exactly what they're getting until they actually try one of those things out—and that means they might not be interested in what you're offering at all!

Sinek explains that when you start with the "why" of your product or service, you're able to frame your message in a way that resonates with others. This is especially important for marketing because it helps you avoid the pitfalls of trying to sell something based on features alone.

In life, we often find ourselves pulled in a million different directions. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle of life and lose sight of what really matters. But when it comes to marketing your business, it's important to make sure that you're always keeping your company's WHY at the forefront. Why? Because if you don't know WHY you do what you do, how can anyone else?

The Biology of Why

In his book, Simon Sinek explains that the brain is wired to respond to emotion. We're drawn to stories, not facts. This is why you can talk about the history of your company all day long, but if you tell a story about how it came to be or what its values are, people will be more likely to remember those details than any dry recitation of facts could possibly hope for.

So you've got a product or service that you're trying to sell, and you're wondering what your customers want.

Well, if you're like most people, you probably just ask them. You might ask them in person, or on the phone, or online—but it doesn't matter how you do it: when you ask customers what they're looking for, it's only going to be one answer: "I want something that does this."

And there's nothing wrong with that answer! It's actually a very good place to start. But what happens when your customers keep asking for more and more of one thing over and over again? What happens when they can't seem to figure out what else they need from you?

You might think that this means that your business is just doing something wrong—but in reality, it's actually a sign of a deeper problem: your customers don't know why they need anything from you. They don't know how your product can help them achieve their goals or make their lives better. They just know that they need something from someone—and they have no idea who that someone should be.

That's where "Start With Why" comes into play.

Why leadership must start with why

The first step in creating a culture of purpose is to tell your story. Why do you exist? When people know your why, they will be inspired to take action and create change, because they will have a sense of purpose. Your “why” is the guiding light that drives your organization forward.

The second step is to use the Golden Circle as an organizational tool. The Golden Circle is a model developed by Simon Sinek that describes the relationship between cause and effect: There are three layers:
1. Why we do things (the core message)
2. How we do them (the process)
3. What results from our actions (the outcome).

By using this model as a framework for decision making, you can make sure decisions are driven by purpose rather than profit or expediency.

The third step involves creating an environment where employees don't just work for their company—they believe in it too! You need people who share your vision, so finding those individuals who want to work with you can be challenging at first but well worth it over time—and if you start with why now instead of later on down the road when there's already someone filling their role while still trying not just survive but grow then maybe one day soon enough this whole idea might actually become profitable instead just being some crazy dream no one else understands, let alone believes in.

I’m a single-leader!

But wait, you might be thinking: “I don't have a team! I'm just an entrepreneur working alone in my home office!”

That's fine; this concept applies to all kinds of organizations and teams (big or small). The only difference is that if you're a solo entrepreneur, your company is both your team and your organization. You will still need a direction for yourself as much as anyone else does—you can start by answering the question "Why am I doing this?"

Successfull leaders make decisions based on what you believe.

Successfull leaders make decisions based on what they believe.

They are authentic. They are consistent. They are transparent and vulnerable, at least when it comes to their core values and principles. And they will not compromise those values no matter what the cost or circumstances may be—even if that means being unpopular or even hated by some people in their organization (or outside of it).

The power of belief-based behavior

One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself and your organization is to start with why. Most people don't realize how much of their behavior is driven by beliefs, especially those that are subconscious. The power of belief-based behavior is immense, but it's also something that can be harnessed for great good.

As an employee, you should be able to articulate your company's purpose and mission on a deep level. If they're not clear in your mind, it's time to take a step back and figure out why they matter so much—not just because someone told you they did but because they make sense on an intrinsic level. You should feel confident describing them in the following way: "This is what I believe."

Once your beliefs have been clearly defined, those beliefs will guide all of your actions at work. When deciding between two options, you'll put more weight on which aligns better with how you see things (which itself came from what makes sense). This helps ensure that every decision made by everyone in the company aligns with its core values; if everyone shares common goals then there's less need for confusion or conflict over priorities across departments; efficiency improves significantly when everyone knows where their efforts fit into a greater picture; morale improves as employees feel aligned with one another through shared values rather than being pressured into performing tasks simply because someone higher up said so (even if those tasks aren't aligned).

Conclusion

By now, hopefully you have a better understanding of WHY. It's easy to see the benefits of having a strong WHY for your business and how it can help you build a better customer experience.

You need help defining your WHY? E-mail us for a free chat at
hello@somewheresomebodysdancing.com

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