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That was a good question my son asked me recently.
A WHY statement is positive, actionable, and generative. It is strongly linked to positive feelings and emotions such as happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. A WHY statement contains a contribution (a contribution) and its effect on the world. My WHY statement is: I serve and facilitate so that others can elevate themselves and experience more happiness and love. You can find other examples of WHY statements here and here.
Yesterday I spoke to a company manager, and I asked him his goal for the coming period. He answered me with a grin that I couldn’t quite place: “increase in revenue.” To me, that’s an empty answer. An increase in revenue can result from something What you do and not necessarily because of WHY you do something.
What and WHY
The What is the advice you give, the data you analyze, or the translations you do—everything you do (and possibly do well) to generate value or make money. You can read more about the What here.
WHY you do something is much stronger and more rewarding than profit. Think of job satisfaction, staff retention (and the costs this saves to attract and train new staff), loyal customers, and the right products.
Returning to my son’s question, “Is there a negative WHY statement?”. I have thought about this and have concluded that there is no negative WHY statement.
Destructive actions
A negative WHY statement is not really a WHY statement. It is the destructive actions (the What) that aim at achieving negative goals. People do this by not serving others, treating them badly, disrespectfully, or even hurting others.
“What one does in the name of their WHY is what determines how others view your actions.”
— Simon Sinek
You can ask yourself whether your actions or behavior belong to your WHY and what actions you should show when you live your WHY. I try to align my behavior as much as possible with my values or qualities such as reliability, positivity, and enthusiasm.
Growth & balance
Now that the first rays of sunshine are returning to my desk, I realize that nature focuses on growth. A positive WHY statement aims at personal growth and the growth of everything and everyone around you. In both nature and the universe, there is a pursuit of balance. I am convinced that a positive WHY statement makes sure that I positively impact the people around me. That helps me to stay more balanced in life.
And when you take responsibility for something more than profit or revenue growth, you are tuning in to a collective vibrancy that not only contributes to something good for the world but also good for your business. Revenue growth can then be a result.
Do you also want to know your WHY? We can help you discover it. Your WHY is based on past experiences and is strongly linked to feelings and emotions. It’s why you got out of bed today and do the things that fulfill you. Contact us today for a free introduction.
We’ve done dozens of WHY sessions to help people discover their WHY. There has never been a negative WHY statement. You can read more about how to find your WHY here and what a WHY session with is, here.
What is your WHY, and what do you do in the name of your WHY? Let me know in the comment field below. The other readers of this article. and I are looking forward to reading from you!
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Sources:
–Find Your WHY, Simon Sinek
–Legacy, James Kerr
