When we meet new people, in business settings and in casual ones, sooner or later the question comes up…What do you do? Rarely does someone ask you WHY do you do what you do. I wonder why? After all, wouldn’t that answer be a lot more interesting?
Someone must think so. There are lots of different words we apply to the WHY behind what we do. Think about it: motive, purpose, goal, strategy, aim, basis, drive, impulse, incentive, incitement, inducement, influence, inspiration, intent, intention, motivation, objective, passion, rationale, root, spur, stimulus, thinking, and more all tie back to our why.
WHY is one of my favorite words. I’m sure I drove my parents crazy with my incessant “whying” when I was young just as it probably has frustrated my supervisors, co-workers, and employees as I moved through my career, not to mention the poor folks who’ve had to live with me. But for me at least, I can’t get to the What and the How until I understand the WHY. In fact, it is the WHY that ultimately shapes the What and How of getting the job done.
In its purest sense, the WHY is at the root of our business and our being. The answer to our WHY in business and in life is our core purpose. The ultimate answer to WHY. Years ago, when I started my company, I was struggling with what to call it. Ultimately, CorePurpose, Inc. was born to help businesses grow by focusing on their WHY.
You see, once you know WHY you are doing something, it’s much easier to set goals, make plans,and follow through on them. And when you can explain your WHY to others, you just might find that they believe in your core purpose also and will join you on the journey.
So take some time to think about WHY. Once you have the answer, the What, How, Who, and When come naturally.
Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
P.S. Please join me on July 7, 2010 at 9:30 AM Central Time when I will be sharing ideas on Blog Talk Radio with host Zane Safrit around putting the WHY to work in your business and how to focus yourself and your team on building, connecting, growing around YOUR core purpose. For more information, click here.