Page 28 - CMA PROfiles Summer 2018

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

refer to it like crazy. Make sure your
employees understand it and embrace it.
Use it to promote your company: Put it
on your home page, create a tag line, add
it to your email signature and update your
advertising and marketing materials to in-
clude it. In other words: Get the word out.

As you consider your WHY, perhaps it
would help if I gave you an example from
START WITH WHY Paul Downs. His company makes high-
If you haven’t had a chance to read Simon end custom conference tables, which
Sinek’s book Start with Why or listened they sell over the Internet. That’s the
to his TED talk about the same subject, WHAT and HOW for Paul’s business,
I strongly encourage you to do so. It will but what is his WHY?
motivate you to rethink your business – in or “in business for XX years.” Paul was Paul’s WHY stems from his gracious
a good way. Sinek shared a concept called blunt and told the audience that essen- heart; what drives and inspires him is
“The Golden Circle,” which is graphically tially no one cares about these things. creating better lives for his employees.
represented as a target with three rings: He didn’t refer to Simon Sinek’s Golden It’s not about the product his company
The outer ring is WHAT, the middle ring is Circle concept, but hopefully you now makes – it’s about the people he employs.
HOW, and the bullseye is WHY. recognize that these kinds of phrases are Paul’s baseline pay is sufficient for a
simply the WHAT. When describing your worker to afford a reliable car and rent.
Any company can explain WHAT it does business, you may get into the HOW with
and some can explain HOW they do it, phrases like “hand-crafted” or “using the He also openly admits that he pays
but very few can articulate WHY they do latest technology,” but even those things his employees “too much,” compared
what they do. You know WHAT you do – are not meaningful to your prospective to industry norms, because it affects
the products you sell or the services you customers. You need to dig deeper and profitability and also because the good
offer. Perhaps you even know HOW you focus on the WHY. workers stay with the company. But
do it – what makes you special or sets you Paul invests in his employees far more
apart from the competition. But do you When business owners and entrepre- than financially – he also believes in the
know WHY you do what you do? WHY is neurs start with WHY, they are then able importance of providing training for
not about making money; making money to inspire others and achieve remarkable them. He wants his employees to succeed
is the end result. WHY is a purpose, things. They command greater loyalty not only at work but also in life, and that’s
cause, or belief. It’s the very reason your from customers and employees alike. Paul’s WHY.
company exists. They are more successful and are also
able to repeat their successes. They CONNECT WITH US.
In his keynote address at our 20th become more innovative, and ultimately,
Anniversary Conference, Paul Downs more profitable.
criticized the typical shop’s website for
focusing on phrases like “family-owned” Once you figure out your WHY, then

26 PROFILES SUMMER 2018