To have true alignment you need to build your business on the right foundation.
That foundation starts with your vision. More specifically your core values, core purpose, BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and strategic anchors.
Next come your goals. Goals are the things you are going to focus on over the next 12 months. The critical things you have determined are going to bring you closer to achieving you vision. To accomplish your goals, you need to break them down into small pieces which we call initiatives. However, goals and initiatives will be much less effective if the foundation is weak.
Your Small Business Core Purpose
I wanted to talk a bit about one of the fundamental building blocks of your vision, your core purpose.
This is your “why”.
Why does your business exist in the first place? Some people call this their mission. This should be something that’s greater than yourself. Your core purpose is “why” you’re leading the business to the “where” (BHAG).
To determine your “why” it may take a great deal of soul searching. You can’t just ask your team to brainstorm about your “why”. Brainstorming may give you some hints, but I believe this is something that must come from deep down inside.
When thinking about Envisionable and why we do what we do, I came up with the following:
Unrealized potential really bothers us. There is so much potential that God has placed in individuals, employees and businesses. That’s why we support New Missions and Haiti Partners and give a % of every sale to these organizations. We created Envisionable to help small businesses realize their true potential. To realize the true creative power that is trapped up in each employee by bringing clarity to a company’s vision and goals.
But let me dig in deeper here. Why does unrealized potential bother us? It’s because we believe God has gifted each individual with strengths and abilities. When those strengths and abilities go underutilized, it’s a real loss. Everyone is robbed of something truly special. That belief, that “why”, is grounded in my belief in God. I believe when we’re in true alignment with God’s plan for our lives, we are the happiest and most fulfilled we can be. We were created to operate in our gifts and abilities and bless others in the process.
Now I went pretty deep there.
Now it’s your turn. Why are you in business (beyond making money and paying your bills)?
Finally, a personal story. I lost my Mom to lung cancer last year. It will be a year on August 31st. It took us all by surprise. She had a stroke, then died six days later. It absolutely crushed me. My Mom was my biggest fan. It was an incredible loss. It still seems unreal.
Death is a strange thing. It is so permanent and something none of us will escape. I think when a parent dies, you consider your own mortality more deeply. It made me consider:
- Why am I on this earth?
- What was I created for?
- Why do I get up every day and do what I do?
These are all great questions that need to be answered by everyone. The answers to these questions should make up the foundation of your vision and answering these questions may even change your life!
I challenge you to spend some time really thinking through the answers to these questions. Your vision will be clearer and you’ll experience more alignment and results in your business.