DISCOVERING my “why”
The biggest and 1st question you have to ask yourself is “WHY” do you want to be an entrepreneur? Why will you provide this kind of service or sell this kind of product? The pitfalls I saw in more than decades of doing management consulting and conducting consultative and strategic learning programs to entrepreneurs is that, some entrepreneurs started strong but eventually folded out because they have a weak Mission Statement. Their WHYs are big but not deep.
Simon Sinek, one of the greatest thought leaders wrote in his book, “Start with Why” mentioned that understanding your deepest why will completely change your world view and restore your passion to a degree multiple times. Maybe your next question is “WHY start with WHY?”, what is the significance and advantages? In any business, bottom line is always profit. However, as your business grows, it is your WHY that will sustain its growth.
Some of the entrepreneurs are lost when you ask their Mission Statement. The reason being is that they do not have a specific structure one learns when they enroll themselves in a Business School. The terms and words are jargons for them. What they can share with you in full clarity is what they do and how they are going to achieve it. The only 2 questions they have are 1) What is my Mission all about and 2) How am I going to accomplish the mission.
In this article, let me guide you on how to discover your deepest WHY by giving you some points and tips on how to create your Mission Statement in the quest of providing your strategic value proposition. But first, please answer the following as to WHY you want to be an entrepreneur and start offering your products and services.
WHY DO I WANT TO BECOME an ENTREPRENEUR?
1.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THESE
1.
HOW I INTEND TO START
1.
Peter Drucker, the father of modern day business management, did pioneering studies with some successful businesses and mentioned that asking the question “What is your business?” is synonymous with asking “ What is your Mission Statement?”.
A Mission Statement is a concrete and enduring statement of PURPOSE that distinguishes you and the organization you represent from others. It clearly and deeply defines your “REASON for BEING and PURPOSE of EXISTENCE”. In fact, a Mission Statement is your anchor all the time when times are tough as it helps you establish your objectives and assist you in formulating your key strategies in sustaining your competitive advantage.
In the book of Fred & Foster David, they call it a Creed Statement, a statement of purpose, a statement of philosophy, a statement of business principles, or a statement of “defining or business”, a Mission Statement reveals what an organization wants to be and whom it wants to serve that is why starting with knowing the WHY will guide you through the process of crafting your Mission Statement.
In the next article I will share with you the importance of having a clear Mission Statement and how to craft one.
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Jonathan Oboza Petalver is the Founder and CEO of Petalver Management Consultancy Services. He is also the President and Dean of One Global Academy U.S.A.
