WORK IS A FOUR LETTER WORD . . .

“Work isn’t meant to be fun – that’s why they call it ‘work’!”  -Anonymous

At first glance this seems irrelevant to being a business owner.  But, finding the ‘Why’ includes finding the original passion when you started the business, your original values and purpose, finding the satisfaction, and even the gratification.  On a basic business level, generating a profit can be seen as a reasonable objective. But why is finding the ‘Why’ so darn important?

We all recognize that running and building a business isn’t fun and games.  Have you ever felt that an essential element is missing in your work? Whatever happened to being happy? Do you remember when you first started your business, that feeling of happiness, when you could not wait to get out of bed and go to work?  This period of your life was when your passion and your ‘Why’ were closely connected.

Is The WHY About The Money?

In working with clients we find that many business owners maintain that money (or profit) is not the primary motivator for them. While they will readily agree that it is certainly important, they are almost unanimous agree that the so-called “profit motive” ranks fairly low on the list of reasons why they started their business in the first place. More interestingly, is the fact that business owners who view their business as nothing more than a vehicle for generating profit are in the minority.

We ask our clients at the start of their mentoring program, “So what it is that inspires them about their business?”  Then, we usually follow that with this question: “So what is it that you like about what you do?”  We ask this because the response is often linked to what brings that business owner the most gratification and happiness in their business! While one of the biggest frustrations for these people is the need to generate more revenue, it is equally true that achieving and maintaining a high level of freedom in their role in the business is also a frustration. In other words, most business owners are not doing what they really want to do with their time, energy and money (or the ‘Why’).

There is a continual balancing act for the business owner to balance profitability with the purpose and meaning.  What keeps most business owners from achieving this goal is the continual grind of keeping the business functioning and profitable. Thus, they seem to rise above it all, to achieve the higher purpose and goals. But without a clearly defined vision and purpose, the ability to find true happiness can never be realized.

Is The WHY About You?

Another key aspect of the entrepreneurial “pursuit of happiness” is the idea that, as a business owner, if you employ people to work for you, so you can then have the opportunity to provide them with the potential for finding happiness, as well. Chip Conley, said, “I believe that meaning at work is even more important than meaning in work. When employees believe in the work of the company, the whole Hierarchy of Needs is satisfied.”  C. William Pollard said, “People want to work for a cause, not just for a living.”

What this implies is that happiness can be achieved at work as well as in one’s work. And you as the business owner you need to provide the culture and structure to facilitate that. You might ask how this could possibly benefit you as the owner.  C. William Pollard goes on by saying, “As a person sees a reason for the task that is personally satisfying and rewarding and has the confidence that the mission of the firm is in alignment with his or her own personal growth and development, a powerful force is unleashed that results in creativity, productivity, service quality, growth, profit and value.”

Just as with most business owners, an overwhelming number of employees acknowledge that money is not the most important factor in determining satisfaction with their jobs. In fact, studies have shown that recognition, opportunities for development and/or advancement, and gratification almost always out-rank money in terms of priorities or motivators for employees. This is not to say that a fair and equitable compensation is not expected—but that is only part of what makes up an organization that challenges, inspires, and rewards its employees.

Is The WHY About the Mission Statement?

An important aspect of mentoring is the work we have clients do in clearly identifying and articulating their Primary ‘Why’. Many clients find that once they finally put this into words and truly recognize what moves and motivates them in life, it positively impacts their business.

Therefore, by having a clear and powerful purpose and identifying how your business serves that purpose, then you can clarify the purpose and mission for the business. By introducing your employees with that purpose, everyone can then share in something larger than themselves and in turn nurture growth, development, and success of your business.