Small Business Talk
The Podcast to Grow your Business Faster
Why or How? Which is more important?
Show Notes
Why or How?
Which is more important to your clients and you?
We are all familiar with Simon Sinek’s “Why”. Where he goes into great detail about how people are more likely to deal with businesses that have a greater purpose a solid “why” they do business more than just making money. Simon uses Apple as his example.
“Who Gives a Crap”.
Who Gives a Crap“, is an Australian brand of toilet paper that is more than just a clever play on words. “Crap” is Australian slang for doing a “poo”.
Their slogan is – Not Your Average Toilet Paper. Saving The World, One Wipe at a Time.
To date Who Gives a Crap, has donated almost $11 million Australian dollars ($8 million US) to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet. They are very clear on their why
Contaminated water contributes to over 1 million deaths per year
A toilet could make all the difference, but billions of people worldwide still live without one. Without a loo, waste ends up in local waterways – the same place people collect water for drinking, cleaning and bathing. That’s why toilets are an integral part of a bigger health initiative called WASH, which stands for water, sanitation and hygiene. Together, these three elements strengthen communities and save millions of lives.
Their products are made from 100% recycled fibres or 100% bamboo which fits perfectly with the company’s values. At up to double the price of similar off the shelf products, their “Why” certainly is a game changer for them and their customers.
How
McDonalds is an amazing example of “How” they have got their procedures down to such fine detail that now matter which store you go to throughout the world with minor cultural difference you will be guaranteed to get exactly the same product. The how is so strong that the product is repeatable over and over.
If you have the McDonald employees out of McDonalds, can they still function to the same standard? Often when we only teach how we are not teaching people to think. Yes, they can follow the standards, the procedures, and the rules but what happens when things go wrong? Is there a procedure to follow for this exact circumstance?
In Tim S Grover’s book “Winning”, he takes a slightly different tact on “how”, he takes the “how” into “what”.
Are the procedures then teaching you the “what” for example Tim says:
“Your parents teach you what to think.
Adulthood shows you how to think”
It is the details that matter . . .
Is this why seemingly brilliant high school students begin failing when they hit university because they have been able to breeze through knowing the what but lacked the how and the why? I think that is a discussion for another time.
Is Why More Important then How?
This is a debate that has been raging for a very long time.
Is it the “Why” that makes it all come to together with the purpose to take the action?
If you make a New Years Resolution to lose 10 kg / 22 pounds by Easter the chances of you doing it may be very low. However, if you made the same resolution to lose 10kgs 4 months before your upcoming wedding so that you looked good, I am sure the result would be very different.
To lose weight in both examples would take the same “How” but the “Why” is vastly different.
Forget the How and Just Start
Often, we worry way too much about the “how” that we become paralysed and can’t even start.
At the time of recording this podcast I am walking 10,000 steps a day for the whole of September. For some of you this may not sound like much but for me who was finding it difficult to maintain a 5000 step average it is quite a leap. It is not that I am not active it is that I spend most of my time sitting, either in front of a computer or driving.
When I committed it was for 10,000 steps and the decision was made the last week of August. I tried to up my step rate in practice for the commitment. I was able to get it up to 7000 step average for that week.
I started double thinking it and wondered if I should revise my step count?
It would be ok if I only did 8000 wouldn’t it? It was more that what I have been doing, that would be fine wouldn’t it?
For a couple of days I thought about it.
No it wouldn’t.
The reason it wouldn’t was because of my why.
Making an Impact
“Being impactful is about causing a ripple effect that will have positive outcomes for so many people that you’ll never know about.” Michael Griffiths
10,000 steps a day in September – Raising money for Charli via Redkite.
Unfortunately, in today’s world with so much going on it easy to focus on ourselves, on our problems, on what we need to do to survive, rather than simply making someone else feel good with no expectation of anything in return.
More about Redkite.
Redkite helps families who have children with cancer both financially and emotionally with the battle they have to face every day.
Charli who is a good friend of our network and is one of those children. This tough little cookie has been in hospital more times than what we’ll go to in our lifetime.
She constantly smiles, constantly thinks of her Mum and Dad and constantly tries to make other people’s lives better.
If you can help in making Charli’s life better that would be amazing.
You can donate to help us raise money for Redkite.
Thank you so much, the link is https://www.sunupchallenge.org.au/s/596/592/s
When The Why Is Big Enough the How Will Come
I had a big enough why for the 10,000 steps so I made it happen. Changed a coffee catch up to grabbing takeaways and walking around the park. Persuaded my son to walk down the street with me at 10pm at night because he needed just a few more steps. Walked around and around my lounge room before bed to add in the extras.
Yes, it took planning and commitment but the why was big enough to make it happen. If you had given me a list of how that included the above actions, I would have thought that you were silly and won’t have wanted to make it happen. Looking at the why not the how made it manageable for me.
How will I get to 10,000 steps each day? I have no idea however I am no longer stressed about not making that goal I am just focussed on getting them done today and tomorrow I will work it out then.
Deadlines
Deadlines can often clarify the how when you have a solid why. If you know what you want and why you want it by setting up a timeframe, a deadline you will often find a way to create the how. This is what I am doing with my steps. The deadline is going to bed each night, so I have to find a way to complete my steps within that day.
If we give ourselves too much time then will the how or the why wane?
Deadlines can help us achieve many things in our businesses and as long as we have a strong enough why we will find a way to stick to them.
Why or How? Which is more important?
In my opinion, the “Why” is far more important and an enticing reason to get things done than just “How”
Listen to Episode 133 of Small Business Talk for the full details.
