Zoom Out To Your Why

Fifteen years ago, Simon Sinek, in Start With Why, wrote, “Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, 100%...But very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do...Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?” 

It is a great question. Why should anyone care about your organization? In my case working at a boarding school, why should families invest significant money in their child’s high school education? Why my school and not one of our peer schools or a public option? Why does my work matter? 

You found our organization for a specific reason. You had an individual “why” that guided you to your work. Maybe you knew someone who enjoyed their work with the organization. Maybe you believed so deeply in a mission that you found a way to marry a sense of purpose with your occupation. Or maybe you just needed a job. Regardless, every member of your team brings their “why” to their work. And yet no organization’s “why” should sit with one person or one programmatic offering. Instead, your why must rest at the intersection of the constellations of programs and people who deliver your mission. 

The challenge so many organizations face is believing that individual components of their mission (specific offerings) represent their why. Do they matter? Of course. Is missional work conducted through individual programs? Of course. But no individual or unique program can serve as your why. 

Organizations thrive when they possess the ability to zoom out and clearly articulate their why amidst the noise of their “what” and their “how”. Your “why” is not the product you deliver, it is the lives you help shape, the impact you have on the world. It is your reason for existing. Be crystal clear in your why and your constituents will notice.