Why your ‘Why’ is the strongest message you can communicate
When you communicate your organisation’s purpose it is not just a fancy badge to wear for a week, it must integrate it into your business strategy communications, performance communications and weave into the fabric of your culture.
This post is the second in a series of six posts about how to communicate corporate purpose - Navigate the series from the first post
Tip #1 Give me the why- Integrate it into your business strategy and performance communications
It is a decade since Simon Sinek gave his famous TEDtalk, the one with the ‘golden circle’ sketched on a flip chart and the famous quote “People don’t buy what you do, people buy why you do it”.
The first time I saw it, what stood out for me was this message; leaders of successful organisations and movements all think, act and communicate the exact same way, they start from Why. They tap into people’s values and beliefs, so that they don’t act for you… they act for themselves. They are fuelled by their own passions and ideas. I find this fascinating!
That is why I believe, the strongest message that an organisation can communicate is it’s Why. This gives your employees the context first to think about everything else you communicate, not the other way around. If they get inspired and motivated about anything it will be your purpose, which can set the stage for your strategy, financial targets or brand value proposition.
I am sure like me you have sat through enough meetings about the big global vision, explaining how we need to win through a financially motivated vision statement. But ask yourself, do they get it? If they get it, do they see how they matter? And do they even care?
What you certainly don’t want to do is distract or disengage your people.
Here is a human voice, this is a comment from an employee from a large multi-national after a global purpose communication event he took part in. “I got clarity about the need to change focus from a purely commercial objective to one of responsible, caring & energy sustainable objective. It provided an opportunity to crystallize my thoughts on the inner drive behind why I come to work.”- That’s a nice thing to hear about your purpose communication isn’t it!
Simon’s and this employee’s messages are clear; purpose is the most important thing you can communicate, purpose is not just a nice to have, it is directly related to good business performance. Purpose is not extra. It’s the core.
“When you have a conversation about the company purpose you are actually having a conversation about business performance and results. When you are having a meeting about business performance and results you are having a conversation about Purpose.”
I am excited to see that in recent years companies are appealing more and more to their employees and customers when they come to defining their purpose. The fate of those that don’t may be sealed because on thing is clear. Millennials need and want a clear purpose!
I want to end with one of my favourite purpose statement and also a few well-known companies where you can read the shift in their company purpose or vision statements.
My favourite is from Patagonia and seven years on it still stands: “Our Reason for Being. Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis”.
Here are some old and new statements:
Walt Disney Company
from …
To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products
to…
The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.
Du Pont
from …To create shareholder and societal value while reducing the environmental footprint along the value chains in which we operate
to…
Standing by Our Beliefs- We work collaboratively to responsibly develop innovative solutions that employ science and engineering to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.
Starbucks
from …Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.”
to…
To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Please share your reflections, how do these it resonate with you? Can you also share your own company purpose or vision?
If you want to know how humanly can help you to communicate purpose to the humans in your organisation check out some of the ways you can start working with Humanly.
Look out for the next post to read about. Making your strategy and purpose meaningful to the frontline employee? Tip #2- Make it relevant - The purpose should be high level but designed to be translated
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