Sharon Gilmour-Glover – Page 3

February 18, 2020February 25, 2020

The Power of “Why”

We’ve known for quite some time that knowing your personal why and business purpose contributes to success. In fact, Simon Sinek wrote a book on this very subject 10 years ago and his TED talk has been watched by katrillions of people since then.

Before we dig into the how to uncover your why, let’s start with why it’s worth investing time in this process.

Why “Why” matters

We live in unprecedented times. In many parts of the world, we are safer, healthier and wealthier than at any time in human history. And yet, there is a growing crises of suicide, mental health issues and loneliness in the wealthiest economies.

Knowing your personal purpose, why you get up in the morning and what keeps you going, especially in challenging times, is critically important. In light of the alarming stats about mental health and suicide, fostering deep resilience is an absolute essential. It’s imperative. It can literally save lives.

At the same time, the global economy is more volatile and unpredictable than ever. As a result, business results are volatile and unpredictable, making things very difficult and challenging for everyone working in businesses, small and large. It is especially difficult for leaders and business owners.

People who are led by their why, can thrive under even the most challenging conditions. The same is true for businesses.

Uncover your personal Why

You have a personal why. You just may not know it yet or you may not be able to articulate it because you just feel it in your gut.

To uncover your why, start thinking about those times in your life you have been really excited about what you’re doing. Think of those moments when time is just flying by, you’re working hard but it doesn’t feel like work, you’re really energised and uplifted by what you’re doing and when challenges crop up, they inspire you, rather than overwhelm you.

Now answer these questions

What activities were you doing?
Who were you with?
Why did you love it?
What do those activities or situations have in common?
Is there a common theme?

We need to give ourselves time and space to reflect on our life and find the clues that help us to connect with our own unique why. Journalling is a great way to get some distance so we can look at our past and see patterns.

Uncover your business Why

You can use a similar approach to uncover your business’ why. Ask yourself, team, colleagues and friends to brainstorm with you about what really excites them about your business. Then dig into why it motivates each person.

Use that rich thinking and conversation to look at how you do what you do, how you communicate with each other, clients and the market place. Then embark on the very satisfying journey of figuring out how you can tweak things so your clients and the communities you work in experience your why when they connect with your business.

An ongoing journey of discovery

This is a journey with no end point. Over time, it creates new habits of thinking and ways of doing things. It’s fun and creative and can be frustrating at times. It’s always worth it.

Looking for more? Check out our Foundations Building modules. They’ll help you uncover your core values, purpose and vision. Or find a FLOW2 Coach and get started today.

Sharon Gilmour-Glover is a consultant, educator and speaker. Her greatest passion is helping leaders with a vision bigger than themselves expand their capacity for success. Visit Sharon to learn more.

February 10, 2020

Core Values – Invisible Drivers of Success

Sharon Gilmour-Glover

Comments(0)

Core Values

Anything that is built to last any length of time needs to have a foundation. A business is no different. The first step in building your business’ foundation is to know who you are and if you own or lead a business, “Who” is that business, team or department?

Enter Core Values

Each of us is guided by a set of values that influence every decision we make. When we make decisions that sit outside of our core values, we feel uncomfortable and uneasy. When we make decisions that sit inside of our core values, we tend to feel more grounded, more certain. This is especially true if the decision is very important and a difficult one. I’m sure you’ve had that experience where you have made a really tough decision. The stakes are high and the outcome might be uncomfortable but you just know, right in the pit of your gut, this is THE decision and that no matter what happens, it’s the decision you had to make.

It is in those moments that we really feel the power of our core values.

One of the biggest challenges with core values is that often, we have no idea what they are. We may not even realise that we have specific core values and that they are actively working to help us craft a life, a business, that is aligned with who we really are and what we really need.

Choose your Core Values

So step one in the process of unlocking the power of your “Who” is to identify 3 to 5 core values (max.) that sit in the heart of your integrity. To help get you started, here is a link to a comprehensive list of core values.

Read through the list and make a note of the words that really resonate with you. Tune into your body. Trust it to tell you when something is a non-negotiable must-have and when it’s something you value but isn’t essential.

If you end up with a long list, look to see if you can group words together, whether you have multiple words that mean the same thing and which words reflect the absolute non-negotiables.

Define each Core Value

When you’ve whittled your list down, reflect on each word and explicitly define what it means to you, how you live and breathe it, why it is essential and how you need to experience it in the world. While many of us would say that concepts like trust, respect and integrity are important to us, what each of those means and how it is expressed can be very different, for different people.

Live each Core Value

Once you have defined your core values, pay attention to how you live them on a daily basis. Where, when and why do you make decisions that are within your core values and where, when and why do you make decisions that are outside of your core values? Ask yourself how you know you are working within or outside of your core values?

The longer you consciously work with your values, the more you will be able to align the work you do, the people you interact with, the way you live with your life so that you are living in harmony with yourself. You will be in flow.

Knowing who you are, uncovering your why, living a conscious life, takes time, attention and self awareness. It’s not always easy. It’s almost a never a straight line. It is always worth it. Surround yourself by people who support you and find resources that can help. To your continued success!