Why: Three letters forming a word with the simplicity and, yet, the power to make us go numb, stumble for words or burst into a litany of excuses. Or whatever we respond could be the essence of the reason why (here's why again) what and how we do what we do.
Why do you donate money to charity? Why do you go to gym? Why don't you support party A and support party B instead? Why do you admire the people you admire? What have you become tired of your job? Why do you keep doing what you do after so many years?
Inspiration, goal setting and pure drive are rooted in the why of things, the reason, motivation and purpose behind plans and actions, leading to desired results. Thousands of companies complain of bad results due to having deviated from their mission, the why of their existence and reason for being.
At an individual level. a little soul searching as to why you chose your profession, the company you are with and the job you do, can help revive the passion in you. That can also help you identify new opportunities for change.
Recommended reading: Start with Why? by Simon Sinek
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Time Affluence
Time has become a commodity. What wouldn't we do with more time in a day?
"I wish I had 30-hour days," I've heard some people say. A day with its 24 hours in it does not seem to be enough to do all we we need to get done, especially at work. The truth is that, as my mom used to say, "there's more time than life."
Tal-Ben-Shahar, a psychology professor at Harvard University, says that Americans are increasingly getting busier by cramming all sorts of activities in their day, from status updating on social networks to shopping, house work on top of their regular work duties. Getting busy, or looking busy, he states, has become a norm or a desired state, leaving very little time for 'quality time,' one of the 5 key ways to happiness.
Evaluating how you spend your time against goals (business and personal), goal setting to maximize quality over quantity and allocating time to your personal life may help decrease frustration and help you feel happier.
"I wish I had 30-hour days," I've heard some people say. A day with its 24 hours in it does not seem to be enough to do all we we need to get done, especially at work. The truth is that, as my mom used to say, "there's more time than life."
Tal-Ben-Shahar, a psychology professor at Harvard University, says that Americans are increasingly getting busier by cramming all sorts of activities in their day, from status updating on social networks to shopping, house work on top of their regular work duties. Getting busy, or looking busy, he states, has become a norm or a desired state, leaving very little time for 'quality time,' one of the 5 key ways to happiness.
Evaluating how you spend your time against goals (business and personal), goal setting to maximize quality over quantity and allocating time to your personal life may help decrease frustration and help you feel happier.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
You, the Warrior
You go to war to conquer and win. Results drive you and your firm.
In today's complicated and competitive business world, you live or die by your P/L, market share, ratings, revenue, number of clicks or however success is measured in your line of work. This is your score card.You may be a business manager or sales person. You probably work for a truly heroic-type business where expansion and segment domination are the goal.
In my days as an executive recruiter, I came across many magicians, sovereigns and lovers who were extremely frustrated with how much their companies were driven by results in the form of profits. Here the war mood prevailed and heads rolled when business goals were not met.
Whether you like it or not, heroic companies along with their staff of warriors, play a key role across industries. Even the most creative, exclusive and altruistic firms would not be able to thrive and function without a few warriors in their ranks. I remember my shock when I meet a "sales woman" working for Save The Children. Well, on second thought, how can we save children without a warrior raising funds for them?
In today's complicated and competitive business world, you live or die by your P/L, market share, ratings, revenue, number of clicks or however success is measured in your line of work. This is your score card.You may be a business manager or sales person. You probably work for a truly heroic-type business where expansion and segment domination are the goal.
In my days as an executive recruiter, I came across many magicians, sovereigns and lovers who were extremely frustrated with how much their companies were driven by results in the form of profits. Here the war mood prevailed and heads rolled when business goals were not met.
Whether you like it or not, heroic companies along with their staff of warriors, play a key role across industries. Even the most creative, exclusive and altruistic firms would not be able to thrive and function without a few warriors in their ranks. I remember my shock when I meet a "sales woman" working for Save The Children. Well, on second thought, how can we save children without a warrior raising funds for them?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
You, the Hopeless Lover
Don't get me wrong. Company employees in this category are not necessarily tree huggers or Mother Teresas. They, in some direct or less direct ways, serve the common good. A company like Pfizer, for example, strives "to improve health and well-being at every stage of life." What more altruistic purpose than this?
You, the lover, seek fulfillment by helping others by serving, curing, helping, entertaining them or simply making their lives easier somehow. Whoever came up with the concept of delivery pizza sought, not only to make a profit by making food for someone, but went the extra mile (literally) by saving you the trip to the restaurant. A pizza may not save your life in the same way a vaccine does, but the concept of service prevails here as well.
DHL delivers you the world. Suzlon powers a greener tomorrow. Burt's Bees "makes people's lives better every day, naturally." This kind of love for humanity certainly fires you up.
You, the lover, seek fulfillment by helping others by serving, curing, helping, entertaining them or simply making their lives easier somehow. Whoever came up with the concept of delivery pizza sought, not only to make a profit by making food for someone, but went the extra mile (literally) by saving you the trip to the restaurant. A pizza may not save your life in the same way a vaccine does, but the concept of service prevails here as well.
DHL delivers you the world. Suzlon powers a greener tomorrow. Burt's Bees "makes people's lives better every day, naturally." This kind of love for humanity certainly fires you up.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
You, Your Majesty
So, you're royalty?
As an executive recruiter, I have encountered lots of professionals who acted and spoke of their employers as the one and only company capable of (fill in the blank), a league of their own, as unique or the last in a line of (fill in the blank). Their companies have actually done a great job at instilling a sense of royalty or sovereignty in them because of their high quality products or services.
Maybe you don't aspire to be queen or king, but do focus on excellence and quality work to seek following and loyalty. That makes you a sovereign. You are attracted by companies or employers that seek to be number 1 in their areas, not by results alone, but, by the uniqueness of their product or service offering, You and these companies also seek to set the standard, be the authority, the Oscars to Hollywood, the Pulitzer to journalists sort of speak.
I remember meeting someone working, not for a company, but THE company that manufactures the balls used by the Major League Baseball teams (MLB). To him, a die-hard baseball fan, his company is royalty (despite being such small niche). I agree that, within that category, the company rules.
As an executive recruiter, I have encountered lots of professionals who acted and spoke of their employers as the one and only company capable of (fill in the blank), a league of their own, as unique or the last in a line of (fill in the blank). Their companies have actually done a great job at instilling a sense of royalty or sovereignty in them because of their high quality products or services.
Maybe you don't aspire to be queen or king, but do focus on excellence and quality work to seek following and loyalty. That makes you a sovereign. You are attracted by companies or employers that seek to be number 1 in their areas, not by results alone, but, by the uniqueness of their product or service offering, You and these companies also seek to set the standard, be the authority, the Oscars to Hollywood, the Pulitzer to journalists sort of speak.
I remember meeting someone working, not for a company, but THE company that manufactures the balls used by the Major League Baseball teams (MLB). To him, a die-hard baseball fan, his company is royalty (despite being such small niche). I agree that, within that category, the company rules.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
You, the Magician
As discussed in my previous entries, most companies fulfill a main purpose, be it innovation or discovery (magicians), excellence (sovereigns), altruism (lovers) or results (warriors). Obviously, most companies focus on one or two of these traits, but may also have some orientation or specific activity or involvement in the others.
So, say you think you are a magician, turned on by innovation, discovery and freedom to create. You may be working for a freedom champion or in a department in charge of product development, innovation or new service development. Even if you aren't in any of these roles, you may be the idea dynamo in your team, regardless of your position.
I personally feel that marketing, promotion and advertising agencies are probably the best example of magicians at work. Here, executives and creatives are under great pressure to develop that new idea that well help their client achieve business purposes whatever they are. I personally feel great respect for designers and creators who have the power to awe us with their work. If you don't agree with me, check out a great example of creativity. I'm sure you've seen equally cool ads before.
So, say you think you are a magician, turned on by innovation, discovery and freedom to create. You may be working for a freedom champion or in a department in charge of product development, innovation or new service development. Even if you aren't in any of these roles, you may be the idea dynamo in your team, regardless of your position.
I personally feel that marketing, promotion and advertising agencies are probably the best example of magicians at work. Here, executives and creatives are under great pressure to develop that new idea that well help their client achieve business purposes whatever they are. I personally feel great respect for designers and creators who have the power to awe us with their work. If you don't agree with me, check out a great example of creativity. I'm sure you've seen equally cool ads before.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Magicians, Sovereigns, Lovers and Warriors
In my opinion, purpose, more than faith, moves mountains. Nikos Mourkogiannis, a renown strategic consultant, states that every company has been created with a main purpose in mind and is populated by 4 types of people: Magicians, Sovereigns, Lovers and Warriors.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google, the Magicians, set their eyes on an ever evolving free-access system that would put vast amounts of information on people's hands. Their emphasis has been on a free-spirit of innovation and discovery open to all.
Giorgio Armani, the Sovereign, is not out to save the world or clothe every man, woman and child on the planet for free, but a selected few who can afford his expensive creations. He strives for excellence, seeking to be admired, adored and followed.
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes (www.toms.com), is the ultimate Lover who set out to give one pair of shoes to a shoeless child in the developing world for every pair sold at his store. The One-for-One movement he leads is fueled by the purpose of altruism and desire to help others and improve their lives.
Bill Gates is a Warrior who did not start Microsoft to develop software used by a handful of people; instead, he envisioned putting it in every PC on the face of the earth, earning him monopoly lawsuits in Europe. Results drive at its best.
Are you a magician, a lover, a sovereign or a warrior and, most importantly, is your personal purpose in line with that of your employer?
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google, the Magicians, set their eyes on an ever evolving free-access system that would put vast amounts of information on people's hands. Their emphasis has been on a free-spirit of innovation and discovery open to all.
Giorgio Armani, the Sovereign, is not out to save the world or clothe every man, woman and child on the planet for free, but a selected few who can afford his expensive creations. He strives for excellence, seeking to be admired, adored and followed.
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes (www.toms.com), is the ultimate Lover who set out to give one pair of shoes to a shoeless child in the developing world for every pair sold at his store. The One-for-One movement he leads is fueled by the purpose of altruism and desire to help others and improve their lives.
Bill Gates is a Warrior who did not start Microsoft to develop software used by a handful of people; instead, he envisioned putting it in every PC on the face of the earth, earning him monopoly lawsuits in Europe. Results drive at its best.
Are you a magician, a lover, a sovereign or a warrior and, most importantly, is your personal purpose in line with that of your employer?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
