"He who has a why, can endure any how." Fredrick Nietzsche (German Philosopher)
Master Secret: Uncover where your motive lies
Strategy: Find your reason. Why you do what you do?
Fumbling through My First Career Choice:
In my early working days, I started out wanting to be a real estate agent. I did an entrance exam, did well, and was offered to join an up-and-coming real estate team within a growing territory. I was on the career path of my dreams. As it turned out, it was a crushing disappointment. I didn’t have the maturity to understand how much hard work would be needed to keep that job. I would rock up to work doing the bare minimum. I then expected to roll out with the big boys and earn the big dollars almost immediately, without earning my stripes.
Family Influence:
At the same time as I was on my real estate learning curve, I had a Father who had a successful business. He made it his mission to relentlessly persuade me to join him to, as he put it, to: "make lots of money". At that age (19) the lure of fast money and fast cars were the recipe for an euphoric high, and there was nothing I wouldn’t have traded to get there straight away.
Gee, talk about naivety.
After six months of my Father's nagging, my work ethic and tenacity at the real estate job dropped significantly, and I was eventually fired. Yes, for the first time in my life, I was let go. It is heart-breaking to be "let go". Your-self worth and self-esteem go right out the window. I couldn’t really blame external forces here, either. I was the one who got me fired. I became lazy, because I knew I had a Plan B.
Note to self: Plan B always distracts you from Plan A.
Naturally, I quickly embraced the idea of working for my Father and being the boss’s son, together with all the foolhardy perks and pompous privileges that go with that position. My Father at the time was my idol. He was a survivor. I realised after a few years of working for my father that my moral compass wasn't solely anchored in money. I wanted more. I wanted to step out of my father's shadow and stake my own claim. After a few years of working for my Father, I got fired for a second time, and this time, by my own family.
We can't be embarrassed or afraid of falling down. How else do we learn if we don't make a few ego-driven decisions? In regards to bad decision-making, I seriously wore the crown. After feeling the rejection and humiliation of being let go from yet another job, I found solidarity in certain family members and friends who picked me up and reminded me of my self - worth.
With mortgage repayments due, and having an excessive debt for a car loan, I had to hit the ground running to find a new stream of income.
I then fell into a casual job at a shoe store, which would put me on a destiny - related path. This would steer me on a long - term path, although I didn't realise it at the time. This is why I believe there are no mistakes. Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.
To keep the bills paid, I took a second job at the local department store, which involved working until midnight. This job was located beneath the shoe store. Taking off one hat to put on another was the hardest but most rewarding two years of my life. I didn't see it at the time, but I was growing. Fast.
Working at ECCO Shoes was a time of my life I won't soon forget. I fell in love with the ethos behind the company, and I made it my own. I embraced why ECCO did what it did, and I explained to customers why ECCO were world leaders in footwear production and design. The story behind ECCO became my story and I found a way to meld this love for ECCO with my love for people and my own personality type. I was regarded as the best salesperson in a flagship store, with my customers often walking out with three or four pairs of shoes at a time.
Finding the motive for why you do what you do is tricky, because some believe money answers everything. It doesn’t. When we find the motivation behind why we do what we do, we start to fill a void that can only be filled by being of service to others. Successful companies and people all over the world have amassed huge change by knowing why they do what they do. It's authentically produced to drive lasting results.
Why We Do What We Do...
The purpose behind 'why?' has been at the forefront of every creative and evolutionary human endeavor since the beginning of human existence. 'Why?' enables us to question the status quo and to push further, beyond existing boundaries. The mystery of 'why?' has also been at the forefront of our greatest revelations, and it naturally beseeches interest, curiosity and investigation.
In the business world though, you would think this conversation would be toned-down somewhat. After all, we’re not uncovering the nature of the universe here, nor pioneering the development of warp speed flight, unless, of course, you're Richard Branson.
We are, in essence, opportunistic industry leaders who see possibilities in securing supply or service for demand. Organisations that continue to solidify a foothold in their operating markets are distinctively different to ones that are closing their doors. This difference generally originated at inception and carries through to its workforce and customers over the course of time. Essentially, these organisations understand why they do what they do. Try to ask yourself why your company does what it does. This is not an easy question to answer for most. Now, ask yourself whether your staff and peers understand and appreciate why they do what they do. Keep in mind this is not about profit, remuneration or lifestyle. This is about personal tenacity and industry purpose.
I have a close friend who is of a service mindset. He is a self-made millionaire, toiling day and night selling footwear. He has also maintained a keen interest in investing in residential and commercial property over the years, wherein he has experienced substantial gains and continues to grow his portfolio. This man has two children who were both born into the family business. In the early years, there was a great deal of financial stress within their home. Finding the means to make ends meet was the hardest thing to do at the time. It usually involved working twelve hours per day and seven days per week just to provide food on the table and a leak-free roof over everyone's head. From what I understand, it wasn't easy.
Time working in the business also meant being absent from family, which some family members would come to resent in the future. The younger child plainly resents the fact his Father worked so hard. He wanted a father, not a workaholic figure who was rarely there for dinner or to help out with homework.
Dream-chasers often have a deep yearning to be knowledgeable and inspirational in their fields, and this can sometimes result in time away from family. There is almost an uncanny desire to upset the status quo to show what can be done if commitment, perseverance and resilience are present. For my friend, it was the need to be successful and establish wealth for his family which outweighed the fear of any failure.
The danger can also lie in being preoccupied with how much material wealth we'll leave for the kids. That's why we work so hard, and it is the main reason many are working to pay down debt. It's also one of the main answers given by workaholic parents: "We want to give the kids a leg-up when their turn comes to establishing themselves". The problem that is becoming more apparent with this mindset is, the kids can have a very different philosophy on money compared with their parents. It's a natural inclination for people to work hard for their children, but perhaps, we should be more concerned about what we leave in our kids, and not merely for our kids.
While working hard solely for the kids is an admirable pursuit, it cannot be the sole purpose of your 'why?'. You need to have a greater vision to which you can relate, so that you can be the instigator of happiness in your immediate now.
Understanding the purpose of why you do what you do should also be incorporated into the learning principles that a company shares with its employees. This purpose should flow on as your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) through your employees to your customers. When employees and customers understand why you do what you do, it tends to solidify an immediate understanding and loyalty-link, and accordingly, employees keep working hard, while customers continue to buy from a specific team or organisation.
As businesses expand and additional people are employed to manage operations, the message of why the business does what it does can sometimes get lost to both employees and customers. Once customer-driven focused companies become bottom-dollar institutions that only concern themselves with what looks great on paper, they forget that the right culture will mean people will make your bottom line positive anyway. The famous author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey, believes that we should treat employees as we would our largest customer. Although this culture isn't prevalent in most organisations, the theory behind treating employees well, so that they will treat your customers in the same fashion, stands true. The alternative is foolhardy to consider.
Occasionally, management may need a shift in culture, or it may need to re-think its strategic industry position to bring back fundamental service principals upon which the company was founded. This brings the company's thinking back to a renewed understanding and appreciation of how it started and why it does what it does.
Spending large amounts of internal resources coaching or training staff is a step in the right direction. However, if staff do not understand why they do what they do, eventually the training will wear thin and cracks will begin to appear. These cracks come in the form of disgruntled and unappreciated employees, unmotivated managers, missed opportunities, and reduced job satisfaction, which are all ingredients for poor service. The fundamental principle that keeps a compass facing true north is a belief and understanding about why you do what you do. When this is clear, industry purpose and informed decisions are reinvigorated.
The man whom I believe began the recent motivational movement, and pioneered much of the personal development field, Earl Nightingale, made a statement that is relevant to this Master Secret. He said: “Most people believe you’re successful when you earn a lot of money, when the exact opposite is true; you can only earn a lot of money when you’re successful". Money manifests after success; not before. Being patient and steadfast before you’re successful is key.
The Café Experience:
Whilst sitting down one Sunday, finishing my coffee, she asked me: "Would you like another?" She didn't know that I had made it my secret mission to see whether there are still any cafés out there who truly understand what it means to be of service. I wanted to know whether there were any cafés that not only offered the freshest meals and beverages, but who realised: 1) Why they do what they do; 2) what it truly means to get customers back again and again. What keeps people coming back, again and again, is being of true, and what I like to call "Emotional Service". I noted that there were a total of twelve cafés within a 100m walking radius, although this one, which was both farthest away and harder to get to, was buzzing and asking people whether they would mind waiting two minutes whilst they cleared a table. It was amazing to watch and be a part of. I honestly would have waited longer for a table.
I'm sure most would agree that cafés are generally service - driven. At their core, cafés also have the ability to observe customers in their natural, relaxed habitat, and then customise a service approach from what they observe. For example, if a customer opens up a laptop in a café, the service staff can presume the customer may be taking a little longer than the usual 'meal time' at that table. Perhaps, an attentive waitress who is observing can be of Emotional Service by offering further beverages for the patron to enjoy his/her stay. Another example would be assisting a non-English speaking couple through a menu, or seeing a stroller come in and without waiting for a cue, offer a corner table with a high-chair and a few crayons.
In contrast, my pet hate is when café owners/staff see an empty coffee glass at a table and just take it away, instead of realising the empty glass might be an indicator that the customer may just want another. Or if not, the customer may order another beverage anyway, because they realise they are taking up table space within the café. If you don't ask, how can you know?
This café turned a $9 coffee sale into a $43 breakfast sale by being of true Emotional Service.
My long-held view is that if your motive is in emotionally serving others, you can never go wrong. Being of Emotional Service enables the roads to success and fulfillment to intersect. Using the previous example, the cafe's success would be a returning customer, while the customer enjoys the fulfillment of being served. It's a win, win.
I absolutely love people being of service. History is densely populated with people who have risen to great heights by being of genuine service to others. It's no wonder they rise, because they evoke an emotional response from patrons, and people see their level of service as going over and beyond the standard. Why do we gravitate to these people so much? Perhaps, they're a breath of fresh air and remind us who we want to be.
So what does being of service really mean and how can it benefit our business? Well, most businesses, large and small, view it as their goal to satisfy their customers. The real exceptions want to surpass those standards. This is what it truly means to be of service to others and why these organisations/people stand out from the crowd. What is so wonderful about being of Emotional Service is that it is a self - fulfilling prophecy. The service comes back and serves us in return. Some notable people who knew the way to lead a great life were being of service to others:
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Mahatma Gandhi
"To give real service you must add something that cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity." Douglas Adams
"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth." Muhammad Ali
Having a successful business, regardless of its field of operation, comes down to a single, specific and critical element: being of greater service and greater value than your competition.
Finding your motive is very similar to finding your inspiration. It’s a very special place, known only to you.
Clearly, I do not know what inspires you, but I can tell you that when you find it, you can conquer the highest mountains. Obstacles and challenges will no longer get you down and the word “difficult” isn’t something which you avoid thinking about or doing; instead, you embrace it, because that’s where your future growth and success lies.