Why did you get up this morning? Is it because you had to go to work so you can earn money to pay bills and buy food? Or were you inspired about what you would be doing rather than just excited about the paycheck that comes from it? For most people, it’s the former. We work so we have money to not work.
Imagine what it would be like to want to go to work every day – to believe in what you were doing, how and why you were doing it, and with whom you were doing it. What would be different about your life? You would be more fulfilled, happier, less stressed, more productive, and be able to learn and grow your skills easier. What would be different about the company you worked for? There would be increased collaboration and teamwork, more engaged and satisfied employees, higher customer satisfaction ratings, new and creative ideas from the team, greater respect, shared accountability, and higher quality products and/or services released – all of which results in an increased bottom line.
Everybody has a why – their purpose in life – and if you match their why with the company’s why, amazing things will happen! But the company has to have a why in order to reap those benefits. If employees aren’t inspired by the work they perform or what the company is trying to do, they aren’t going to put their heart into it. And if they aren’t putting their heart into it, they certainly aren’t using all of their potential brainpower and skills to do the tasks asked of them.
That’s a hard thing for some companies – coming up with their why. For most executives, they’re running a company that was created by someone else and they were never told why the company was created or what it stands for. In that case, it’s up to the leadership team to come up with one that fits what they’re doing, where they’re going, the employees they have, and the employees they want. Once an organization figures out their why and actively and proudly proclaims it (both internally and externally), they will attract employees and customers that believe in that same purpose. If a company only publicizes their reason for existing externally, current employees may think it’s just a marketing gig and not buy into it.
Inspiring employees is not just something you do once and call it good. Regularly repeating your organization’s purpose and recognizing employees for demonstrating it will help drive the culture and results you’re looking for. Reminding your employees that their why matches the company’s why renews their sense of devotion for and commitment to the organization. If you’re looking for some guidance on how to create your company’s why, reach out to me to have a conversation about it.