Why do we exist?
The critical question that organizations seldom ask
We do a lot of strategic planning with organizations. And in those sessions we lead our clients through the important discussions to get clarity on their vision, mission, values and strategic goals.
We’ve been asking a new question lately and getting surprising results. Why do you exist? The results have been surprising because we are finding that Boards/leadership teams are often not on the same page as to the answer.
What first seemed shocking quickly became what we like to call a BFO (a Blinding Flash of the Obvious) when you consider how much turnover there has been in organizations over the past 5-10 years. What was common knowledge in the past, is assumed knowledge now, and you know what they say about assumptions…
Why does this matter? It matters because if you aren’t clear and aligned on why you exist it is pretty difficult to decide what is most important right now, what you should say yes to, and – most importantly – what you should say no to.
So if you are finding that your organization is overwhelmed because it seems to say yes to everything, then maybe you need to take a couple of steps back and take a fresh look at some fundamental questions.
Questions we suggest are:
- Why do we exist?
- What do we do? What do we do best?
- What distinguishes us from others?
- Who are our clients?
- What is the greatest difference we make for our clients?
If your organization fits this description why don’t you give us a call? At Integra, we excel in asking the thought provoking questions and facilitating the discussions that help you to find your answers.