Over a decade ago, Simon Sinek held his possibly most relevant TED talk, accompanied by a book with a much more succinct title: ‘Start with Why’.
Taking a marketing perspective on successful branding, he boldly stated:
People don’t buy What you do, but Why you do it. […]
Few People and Organisations know Why they do What they do.
Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders inspire action, TEDxPuget Sound, Washington DC, September 2009
As we all will have observed, the current flavour of the day is stakeholder capitalism, with a best-effort-voice carried by (supposedly) purpose driven companies.
Yet, in plenty of cases there is a talk-act gap for many companies: at least from the outside perspective, their business behaviour does not align either with publicly stated purposes, nor with their concern for their stakeholders.
Once we look closer and start scrutinizing companies, no matter the industry, on their Why to engage in sustainability efforts as well as ‘stakeholder capitalism’, Sinek’s insights are as valid today as they were back then.
Just that we’re not talking marketing.
We’re talking sustainability.
Or corporate responsibility. Or ESG. … or whatever you’re preferred terminology is.
Luckily, we’re at a point that an increasing number of company is clear about the How and the What.
Unfortunately though, those clear about the Why, are still much fewer and farther between than subsequent straight lottery winners.
Excelling at What and How; at a loss for Why
What does that tell us about the state of of their efforts, their internal culture and priorities, and – last but not least – the extent to which the rest of the world ‘buys’ what they do?
First, most of companies that have tackled the How and What will do OK or even well in sustainability. Sufficiently well to pacify investors. Sufficiently well to keep up with their industry peers, possibly even to be ahead of them.
But: they will not be doing exceptionally well.
More importantly: they will typically not be inline with Agenda 2030 (SDGs, Paris Climate Goals) or any of the scientifically established timeline thresholds relevant for this context.
Second, their internal culture will see sustainability as a mere operational deliverable – nothing less, but distinctly nothing more. Somewhat akin to the requirement to decrease staff churn: has to be done because it has to be done.
More often than not there will be no explicit link made either between sustainability goals and the job role KPIs; nor will there be made any effort to make the topic relevant for employees on a personal level, to give their individual private ‘selves’ opportunity to sparkle, engage and make a difference in this context.
And third, consequence of all that: even despite the millions spent, the KPI-proud executive team … no one, not employees, and not the outside world, will be able to entirely shake off that nagging feeling that there is something ‘not quite right’ about all the efforts such a company is proud of.
Such a company invests … because it has to. Not because it wants to. But because otherwise the financial bottom line is in danger; questions from investors may be strenuous, or talent acquisition is might be getting tough.
Start with Why: Changing view point
Photo by Jakob Owens
on Unsplash
The thing is, despite claims otherwise, Sustainability and Climate Change, are first and foremost a moral issues, and not economic issues.
It is about ethics, not bottom lines.
And that’s a tough pill to swallow, because the opposite view that nearly all of us hold, is due to a Framing Bias … and who likes to admit to be prone to decision biases?
Climate Change is the predominant moral issue of the 21st Century
James Hansen, NASA climatologist)
8 Deep: Keep asking Why
In my experience, there is little time spent on the ‘Why’. Particularly in companies.
And yet the why is what it all hinges on.
Whether a company makes pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals.
Whether it produces organic food, nutritional food, both, or ‘just food’.
Whether it makes weaponry, or affordable solar lighting for those surviving in war-torn cities.
The Why matters.
Even more so, when you deal with such a huge, complex, and often scary issue like Sustainability.
A thing that requires collaboration. Where Ego is entirely misplaced.
The Why matters.
Because it affects lives of people around you as well as far away.
It affects the lives of those alive today, and the lives of those yet to be born.
As a business, merely knowing Why you’re in business is not good enough.
You need ALSO to have absolute clarity Why you bother to deal with Sustainability issues at all, instead of ignoring them, and just passing the buck to others.
… only once you’ve done that, then you’re ready to look at What (product, service) and How (production, logistics etc).
Start with Why.
Always.
Why do you bother ‘doing’ sustainability?
8 Deep: Why your business does what it does – A simplistic approach
Level 1: Why do they exist?
…. And no, don’t stop there.
Level 2: Ask again: Why is that important?
…Don’t stop there either.
Level 3: Why is that important?
…And keep asking
Level 4: Why is that important?
…
Level 5: Why is that important?
…
Level 6: Why is that important?
…
Level 7: Why is that important?
…
Level 8: Why is that important?
Start with Why: The original TEDx by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders inspire action, TEDxPuget Sound, Washington DC, September 2009
