WHY is a hot topic these days, and those who know me also know I’m a big Simon Sinek fan. He has authored several books including, “Find Your Why.”
 
What’s sad is that way too many business leaders quickly dismiss this important concept as fluffy...something for the “marketing team” to figure out.
 
But as one CEO who was recently brought to light on this subject, told me, “I now see that everything starts with your WHY. If you don’t know your WHY, it’s like planning a wedding before you know who you’re going to marry.” I guess I never thought of it  that way.
 
What it comes down to is this: We all have people, causes and organizations that we are drawn to because there’s a connection. There’s a fit. We get them and they get us. Our personal WHY aligns with the organizational WHY. And boom…that’s when the magic happens.
 
This explains a lot when it comes to understanding why some teams work and others don’t. It’s why some teams and organizations excel and some fall flat. The law of attraction is at work.
 
So if a company, nonprofit, or other organization has never taken the time to articulate its WHY, how can they possibly know how to attract and connect people to successfully carry out their mission or cause? And vice versa, how can anyone identify or support an organization with gusto and vigor if they don’t understand what, exactly, they’re connecting to?
 
Trying to be all things to all people is exhausting. And it’s not sustainable. That’s why teams burnout and individuals get frustrated. Either the individual WHY doesn’t align with the tribal WHY, or in the absence of an articulated WHY, people naturally start looking out for their own self interests. There’s another term for that, I just can’t write it here. Hint: It rhymes with Hit Show. ;)
 
Do yourself a favor. Take time to discover your WHY. It’s a journey worth taking.
 

All of us remember the Hans Christian Andersen fable of the emperor who was deceived into thinking he was wearing beautiful new garments. These garments, he was told, were invisible to those who were stupid or incompetent. The emperor, not wanting to appear stupid or incompetent, parades through the crowd wearing only his underwear. The crowd plays along because THEY don’t want to appear stupid or incompetent either. It isn’t until a small child cries out the truth (uh...he’s not wearing any clothes, folks), that everyone is forced to admit the reality of the situation.

Oh, the business lessons we can learn from this story!

When teams can’t or won’t be open and honest with each other, they are simply parading around in false clothing. You become your own worst enemy. Organizations desperately want to be led by people willing to do the right thing, and make the hard calls. That’s what healthy teams do.

To become a healthy team, you need to “get naked” the right way:

• Put safety first. That means no judgement. If you expect people to “go there,” they have to know it is safe to do so.
• Speak the truth. Don’t let pride or fear keep you from speaking up. No one wants to later realize that they are standing in their underwear.
• Put down your dukes. Be willing to receive feedback with the spirit in which it is intended...to be helpful.
• Value and respect all opinions shared. Eventually decisions must be made and you must present a united front...but only after everyone has been heard.
• Know your own limitations. Effective leaders, no matter how smart they are, know and accept their weak spots. You are not perfect. You are human.
• Be respectful with your words AND your body language. Pinched faces, smug grins, or rolled eyes speak volumes.
• Be vulnerable. It’s okay to feel wounded. The team is there to support each other and help everyone become their best selves.
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Embrace the discourse...it’s how you grow.

For some teams, having an outside facilitator can be extremely beneficial. If you think you need one...get one. Becoming a healthy team takes time and practice. Be kind. Be patient. Be intentional.

​Do what it takes to be a great team.

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I was recently talking to a friend who had read Traction, a long time ago, so he asked me to provide a quick recap to refresh his memory. As I provided the highlight reel of this operating system widely used by organizations of all shapes and sizes to articulate direction and accountability, he began to nod and then said, “Yeahhhhh...I remember now. It all just seemed so...simple.” Skepticism crept across his face.

Simple? It was not the reaction I was expecting, but it got me thinking: What’s wrong with simple? And how many other leaders out there have had a similar reaction? I’ll never know the answer to that, but let me shed some clarity on the concept of simple:

1. Don’t confuse simple with simplistic. Something that is simple is clean, not overdone, straightforward...clear. It is readily understood. Something that is simplistic lacks something important or critical, or isn’t complete. Traction is simple...not simplistic.
2. Simple is effective. Messages and goals that are crisp, succinct, and to the point, can be understood and followed by all. Perhaps it makes some people feel good to see a thick, tabbed binder full of “strategy,” but chances are it will be a better dust collector than a guiding force for your organization.
3. Being simple does not mean it isn’t complex. An iPhone is simple to use, but complex in its engineering. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into building out and following the six key components of the Traction process. But if you can’t take all that work and explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough (and neither will anyone else). I borrowed that last line from Albert Einstein, by the way...he’s a smart dude.

The art of simplicity is anything but simple. But our job as leaders is to communicate a course for our teams clearly and articulately. So if that makes Traction simple, so be it.


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If that's a question for you, read on.

Let me start by saying, hats off to the self-implementers of EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System based on the book Traction by Gino Wickman). It means you have a determined spirit, and that you care deeply about improving the way you run your organization.

I know. I was one of those scrappy, resolute people who was inspired by the book, and confident we could do it on our own at Mint Roofing.

After struggling for about a year, we realized that reading a book can tell you a lot about how something is done, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to do it. Can you be a good golfer after reading a book? Can you ski a black diamond run because you watched a YouTube video?

This is not meant as a criticism of anyone who has gone this route. There are plenty of success stories from organizations who have self-implemented. But how do you know what you don’t know?

You don’t.

For our company, we eventually hired a professional implementer. I think so highly of this operating system, I began helping other businesses with their Traction process, and went on to become a trained implementer. You can learn more at vivid360.net

As part of that process, I realized that there’s not a lot of assistance out there for self-implementers. That’s where I can help with the Traction Reboot. Rather than starting with a traditional implementation, we can take a look at where you’re at in your process; how you’re using the tools; clear up any questions or confusion; and get you totally dialed in.

And then you WILL know what you didn’t know.

P.S. If you’re interested in being part of a peer learning group, sign up here. These groups will allow users of Traction to learn from each other, and share best practices.

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