To be truly successful ‘Why’ will always need ‘How’, and then the ‘What’ will take care of itself. Your ‘What’ is simply a series of actions that allow you to achieve your ‘Why’. I want you to be able to say, this is why I am doing this. This is my true reason ‘Why’, my one big thing, my motivation. This is ‘How’ I am going to do this and it is how I do it that creates my differential from all the others. It just happens that the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’ results in this action, the ‘What’ I am doing.
The true reason why gives you all the power you need to design and create the framework for delivering something that will satisfy your deep-seated ‘Why.’ You then have to decide how you are going to make that happen. It is the combination of the reason ‘Why’ and the ‘How’ that will be your differential. The ‘What’ is simply that, it is what you do. most business owners put far too much emphasis on what they do and because of that they inevitably sound just like everyone else in their space too. The smart money is to celebrate and promote the two other areas of your business, the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’, before the ‘What’.
I have already mentioned you should look at the fine work Simon Sinek has done on this subject. He came up with the model that identified that most people were getting the way they presented their businesses the wrong way around, talking in terms of what, how and why as opposed to the more effective and attractive why, how and what.
Take a look at the illustration on the next page, most businesses focus on the centre of their business the what, illustrated on the top diagram, they then move on to how, and in a few cases you might get to hear their ‘Why’. Simon says to start with ‘Why’, and I totally agree, as do many other far more notable business personalities than I. Don’t take my word for it, look to the most successful businesses and people that run them and you will find, as I did, they do exactly what I am saying as illustrated on the bottom circle.
They start with the ‘Why’ at the centre and then the ‘How’, finally the ‘What’, which just happens to be what they do to achieve their ‘Why’. This does indeed make all the difference to attitude and outcome. Simon calls this the golden circle in his book on the subject, which I have already suggested is well worth adding to your reading list.
Stay true to your three circles
The three circles test that I illustrated on the previous pages is a very valuable tool, but as with any tool, its value is enhanced when it is used correctly. These three main questions are the key to the door of your reason ‘Why’ and your reason ‘Why’ is the key to the door of your success and the success of your business. These questions allow you to find out where you are today but also will clearly indicate if and where you need to make adjustments to your current position.
Assuming, as I will, that you have been candid and the answers you have given to the three questions of what can you be best at, what truly motivates you, and what are your financial needs? Providing the answers are accurate and based on your true feelings, these answers to the three circles test will easily show you where you are and what your true ‘Why’ is. Providing you are truly candid with yourself and give it the appropriate thought. These answers will also be indicating the kind of adjustments you are going to have to make in order to be in the dead centre, where you belong.
Life is too short to be doing something that you do not love. But sometimes we need to compromise and you have to work toward your ultimate goal in stages that are manageable and still maintain your interest in the end game of focussing on your true reason ‘Why’.
Some people can get straight onto it others have to make detours and compromises along the way. Doing this is all part of life, but it does not mean you have to give up on the dream. It just means you need to plot a course and then navigate it to get to where you truly want to be. You will become what you think about most.