Why It’s Important to Find the Agency’s ‘Why’
A new book, “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek covered this topic and gave us inspiration for this article.
“When you fill an organization with ‘good fits,’ those who believe what you believe; success just happens,” said Sinek.
Sir Ernest Shackleton who led three expeditions to the Antarctic, including the infamous Endurance voyage back in the early 1900s, surrounded himself with a team of noble and adventurous explorers. On Shackleton’s search for the crew for his voyages, he clearly described the type of people he needed when he placed ads in The New York Times in 1915. He even noted that a “safe return was doubtful,” but he still needed a team of people who would not give up, no matter the circumstances. Despite the disaster with the Endurance when the ship became trapped in ice, Shackleton was able to lead the crew to safety after camping on sea ice until lifeboats arrived.
Moral of the story, when you surround yourself with like-minded individuals, success tends to follow. When employees feel they belong and are important to the organization, they are more motivated to work toward the company’s goals. This will guarantee the company’s success, as employees will do the job for themselves.
Many companies focus on their organizational structure to address the “how” or “what” their company does, versus finding their “why.”
Looking at the key differences between IBM and Apple’s organizational structure, Apple continues to be a leader in technology. Steve Jobs gave employees a filter, a context and a higher purpose around which to innovate. Apple employees simply look for ways to bring their cause to life, in as many places as they can, and it works.
“Great companies give their people a sense of purpose or challenge around which to develop ideas, rather than simply instructing them to make a better mousetrap. Companies with a great sense of why tend to ignore the competition. Innovation is invaluable for navigating struggle, easier to weather hard times or even to find opportunity then,” said Sinek.
Illuminate the Higher Cause
Employees don’t give up if they understand the higher cause. The Wright Brothers, Shackleton and Apple’s management all believed they could be the best and they trusted their people to do it.
Another example that Sinek gave in his book was about the story of the two Stonemasons. One man just had a job for the money and chipped away each day in the heat, resenting his job. While the other employee, saw that he was building a cathedral; he saw the big picture. The latter has a sense of purpose and was part of the higher cause. He likely knew he would never see the end product, but he was happy to be a part of its creation.
People working together for a common cause build trust and camaraderie.
People working together for a common cause build trust and camaraderie. Companies with a sense of why are able to inspire their employees. The feelings they bring to work attract other people who are eager to work there as well. Good, inspired employees can be the organization’s salespersons for finding new, like-minded employees who also believe in the company’s core message and purpose.
If they do bring in new people, they should also be rewarded. From management on down, these employees see that they all need each other in order to be successful.
Wright Brothers vs. Langley
Another example from the book was Samuel Pierpont Langley versus the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, in their race to create the first airplane.
They both were trying to create the same flying machine. They both had a strong work ethic and keen scientific minds. However, the Wright Brothers did not have the same financial support as Langley did, but they did have the inspiration. Langley was more motivated by the desire of fame and wealth he’d receive if successful. The Wright Brothers were motivated, not by wealth and fame, but rather to succeed, which excited those around them and led to others believing in their potential.
While Langley had much more money and was able to hire talent to get him rich and famous, the Wright Brothers had a more authentic and practical purpose for building the airplane. The Wright Brothers started with their “why” while Langley started with the “what.”
When the Wright Brothers finally took flight, Langley quit — as he was too keen on being the first and was eventually humiliated for his failure. Langley cared too much about his public image because he was preoccupied with being famous. His ego was ultimately his downfall.
The Wright Brothers inspired a group of people to join them in their pursuit of something bigger than each individual member of the team, much like Shackleton did in his Antarctic expedition.
“They pulled together a team of like-minded people and gave them a cause to pursue to ensure a greater sense of teamwork and camaraderie,” said Sinek.
Companies with a sense of ‘why’ are able to inspire their employees.
Lead the Teams
The average company usually gives their people something to work on, while in contrast, the most innovative organizations give their teams something to work toward. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen. It is the people inside the company, on the front lines, who are best qualified to find new ways of doing things. Leaders and agency owners need to draw out those great ideas from their people and help them to feel empowered.
Many companies have star employees, salesmen and so on, but few have a company culture that produces great people as a rule, and not an exception.
Summary
It is imperative to find your company’s “why.”
The examples of all of these companies and notorious people in this article, show how important it is for people to work toward a greater purpose. Agency owners need to inspire their team of employees.
At the next planning meeting, the owners and employees should try working together to find the company’s “why.”
Oak is the founder and president of Oak and Associates, an international consulting firm to the insurance industry that specializes in mergers, acquisitions, perpetuation planning, valuations, planning meetings and streamlining operations for insurance agencies. Schoeffler is a financial analyst and junior consultant at the firm. Phone: 707-935-6565. Email: catoak@gmail.com. Website: www.oakandassociates.com.