(WHY+WHO) x COMMUNICATION = SUCCESS

Alternatively, the title in long-hand reads: the combination of your purpose and your people, when communicated to employees and customers effectively will lead to the success of your business

OK, I am not, and never will be a mathematician so this very poor attempt at creating an equation representing the importance of purpose and your people as a gimmick to attract your attention!!

The post is inspired by today’s Google image inn honour of the birthday today of George Boole, a mathematician and logician who  is credited for laying the foundations of the computer age as we know it today.

Maths aside, my point is this

Your WHY is your purpose, the reason you  and your people get up in the morning and come to work.  Within companies who articulate and openly share their purpose, the WHY is the reason that employees will be enthusiastic, and go the extra mile to help you with their creativity and innovative ideas. Employees and colleagues who are aligned with your purpose while being valued and trusted will have no reason to look anywhere else so your retention will be high.

Your WHO will usually be ‘held’ by your CEO/MD or leadership team and represents the characteristics that define who your are as a company.  Your WHO is unique to you because it is about your people – at all levels of the company, and defines your style of operation; are you a company who acts in a determined, passionate, goal-oriented style, or are you more grounded, connected and creative in your approach?

The SUM, or combination of your WHY and WHO is your Brand Essence, the fluffy, intangible feeling that customers and employees get when dealing with or working for you. The essence of your brand is genuinely unique to you because competitors may share a similar purpose but do not have your leadership or your people.  If you articulate and capture your Brand Essence then use it in both marketing and recruitment processes you will attract customers and employees who are aligned to your purpose – people who like you, trust you and ultimately are more likely to engage with you.

Your Brand Essence is the foundation of your future SUCCESS.  Whether success for your is about turnover and profit, or about changing the world, when your people are on-board and share an enthusiasm and belief for your purpose the success will take care of itself.  Look at Buurtzorg in the Netherlands or Google as examples.  read what Dropbox employees have to say here.

I, nor anyone else working around this agenda is suggesting that you can introduce a purpose-lead leadership approach overnight.  Trust and communication are required in both directions and, as with any shift in culture the two magic ingredients are intention and time.

What I invite leaders to do is to consider how you might set out on this road by discovering and articulating the essence of your brand, exploring possibilities around how you can engage more openly with your people, and making your purpose known, understood and shared by all stakeholders.