A few of my friends, Teri Conrad, Debra Trappen and Laura Monroe, had been talking about the #brandtribe chat stream on Twitter for a while, so I thought I’d follow along using Dashter to curate a bit of the discussion, and see what I could glean from it this morning. I was happy that the starting question struck a chord with me.
Andrea Shillington – @brandpreneur
This morning @TeriConrad & I would like to explore “why you exist other than to make $”… what’s YOUR why #brandtribe
I find that most people can’t explain, in actionable, behavioral terms, why they do what they do. They don’t know how to put in to words, words that can create replicable behavior, what really drives their actions.
Tribal Yell Design – @TribalYell
Passionate about real estate, design and the psychology and advertising. I don’t make money, I support a family. Unsingled a mom #brandtribe
This is a perfect example. The comment, “passionate about real estate, design,” etc… doesn’t really look at the motivating factors that drive TribalYell’s behavior. What they are describing is the result of the motivation, but it’s not the motivation. This is what is hard about the question, “why?” Our first answer is always just picking at the surface, so this is not meant in any way to cast a bad light on TribalYell. This is part of the process. So I was happy to see this follow up question.
lol… @TribalYell so what makes you passionate about those things #brandtribe
The heart of the issue is the true why, the root of why you are passionate about the things you do. Your passion for a thing is the outward signal of an inner motivation. Recognizing that there is a passion for something doesn’t go deep enough. It’s doesn’t reveal the truth of what creates action, and therefore can’t lead you to a place that consistently creates more action.
@brandpreneur I’m not sure. I get to be creative, business and a psychologist all in the same business. It’s fun. I love it. #brandtribe
For me, this is where a deep dive into personal values comes into play. I love it when someone asks me to help them define their personal values, because the first draft always comes back with items that aren’t really values at all. They end up expressing the artifacts of values, what can be seen, not what can be defined in a way that allows you to make decisions around behavior, to take consistent action.
Nick Parnell – @njparnell
Thank-yous from clients and education! RT @TeriConrad: What’s YOUR ‘WHY’ about being in biz other than to make money? #brandtribe
Again, first attempts to define the “why” are almost always touching the surface of the true motivation. This is not a bash on Nick or anyone else attempting to define why they do what they do, it’s just the nature of the process. The first words that come out of our mouth when asked this question are really just rough drafts. The real answer always lies deeper. And it’s always worth the effort.
Calgary Real Estate – @CalgaryRealtor
@TeriConrad my ‘WHY” is I enjoy bringing reality to people’s dreams. Sounds corny but it’s true #brandtribe #brandtribe
This “why” from Jim Sparrow goes further than some of the other answers. It hints at a deeper motivation. And if this were a workshop, we wouldn’t want to stop there. We’d want to get to the core values that help insure he consistently delivers on bringing reality to people’s dreams.
Tying The Why To Personal Values
For me, answering the question, “why do you exist, other than to make money?” should lead to and stem from a deep dive into personal values. Why? Because if we likened a company to a person, we might say that: if strategy is our brain, and performance is our body – then values is our soul! They define what is most important to us in the quality of our dealings and our relationships with every human being with whom we interact. They are the standards by which we are judged and by which we attain credibility.
Why do I exist, other than to make money? I exist to help others define and reach their own personal or professional goals. The greatest joys in my life, with friends, coworkers, customers or family, have all come at the end of helping. If my values are my true brand, and I believe they are, then I believe my values must support my why. They must reflect who I am authentically, not what I hope one day to be. I trust they do and that when people are with me, they can feel that desire.
Great discussion, Andrea. Thank you. What is your why?
WOW! I am speechless! Honored, excited and touched that you’d take the time to comment on what Andrea and I are trying to do. You have captured the essence of OUR “Why” which is of course why I respect you so much. Our aligned values, pursuit of always doing good and to dig deep into the meat of the matter is what drives me. I adore and respect you and the way your mind works! Cheers and Thank YOU!
I thought the question and the stream were great. It aligned with some of my own personal passions, so it was easy. 🙂
Jeff, Thank you.
Wow, I’m honoured and truly grateful that Y-O-U connect with what we’re talking about on #brandtribe. Teri Conrad told me about your Oracle qualities just last night!
We’re craving a conversation beyond the material surface of business. It’s time for self actualization in all aspects of our lives! Money is just one small part. It’s the relationships. The impact we are intended to have in the world. And the legacy that we will leave behind that has inspired me go deeper with my Why.
My Why, inspired me to leave behind the corporate world and brand people’s stories to life. Simply put, I believe in the people with a vision to change the world and want to make their WHY’s world famous.
And thank you for acknowledging the rough drafts of discovering your why, it’s a process. It usually starts with feeling frustrated before reaching clarity. A process that starts with the heart and requires us to stand in our strength and quiet that negative voice that comes up. I certainly struggled with that voice, but finally, choose to tell it to shut up!
And you’re so right to mention values. Values help us make decisions and keeps us on track with what we stand for. It’s easier to get caught up with the quick fixes to success, but taking the road less travelled is what ends up fulfilling us.
I respect how you’re building deeper engagement so we can dig into the heart of the matter. Right now in teal time. A business that perhaps started from one of your values and why’s.
I hope I’ll be able to use Dashter for my ROR blog.
Jeff, I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with you and look forward to getting to know you and learning from you.
With gratitude,
Andrea
Andrea, I’ve been preaching, and hopefully living, the “your values are your true brand” message for many years. It’s at the heart of how I live and do business, so connecting with your mission is really easy for me. If I can help in any way, just let me know.
A worthy endeavor, to discover and articulate our Why’s, and so much harder than it seems at first glance. I truthfully don’t know if I could articulate my many why’s in a meaningful way. Food for thought.:-)
Jeff,
Amen
Jeff, This is Gold !..
… “Because if we likened a company to a person, we might say that: if strategy is our brain, and performance is our body – then values is our soul! They define what is most important to us in the quality of our dealings and our relationships with every human being with whom we interact. They are the standards by which we are judged and by which we attain credibility”
A perfect definition. Well put, Friend.
Does this qualify as “writing something?” 🙂
Wow Jeff, this is really thought provoking and for the most part difficult to answer.
Why do I exist, other than to make money? I exist because God put me on this earth with a plan, a plan I’ve tried almost half of my life figuring out. I do know now that I was put on this earth to help. As I kid I always helped, I helped my mom while she was working in a brewery carrying those heavy cases. As a teenager I volunteered with the Red Cross and as an adult, I help folks sell and buy homes – granted I get paid for doing this but in essence I help.
To me helping is fulfillment and the reward is greater than money can buy.