(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds)
Kids never stop asking ‘why’. That’s how they learn and grow. Then, as adults, most of us stop asking ‘why’. We just carry on, day after day, doing the same things for the same old reasons. We should all stop, every once in a while, and ask ‘why’. So, to get you started, below are 10 important ‘Why’ questions that we should all be asking….
- ‘Why’ are we in business? How do we define financial and personal success? What’s our passionate and relevant commitment to our customers, family, community and ourselves?
- ‘Why’ are we in the particular industry that we’re in? Will this industry be a financially and emotionally healthy place to be in 3 to 5 years? What will disrupt it and will we be the ‘disruptor’ or the ‘disruptee’?
- ‘Why’ are we located where we are? Is it to optimize growth, profitability or lifestyle…or did it just happen and we’ve never questioned it?
- ‘Why’ do we have the business model we do? Will it be relevant in tomorrow’s very different word, or is it of historical interest only?
- ‘Why’ do our target customers buy what we sell? What functional, emotional and financial value are they really looking for?
- ‘Why’ should they buy it from us? Are we the clear ‘wise choice’ form them or do we just tell people we are? What’s our clear and compelling value and experience offering that ‘grabs’ our target customers, clearly differentiates us from our competitors and makes us ‘famous’? How can we coach them on making wise decisions for them?
- ‘Why’ do we define our target market the way we do when technology could allow us to reach a much larger market, if we’re truly extraordinary ..and if we choose?
- For each process, policy or rule in our business, ‘why’ do we do it that way? Is it working? Does it deliver a safer workplace, more compelling customer value, more engaged staff, an environmentally responsible outcome, improved efficiency or profitability?
- ‘Why’ would top-performers want to work for us, rather than someone else? Are we a ‘talent magnet’? Do our employment practices, career opportunities, management style and culture attract top-performers, or do we drive good people away?
- Finally, every business changes hands eventually, unless it just closes down. ‘Why’ would anyone want to buy our business? Is it profitable, relevant, effectively managed and sustainable? To access my Business Tool #B8, ‘When selling your business, here are the 11 things a buyer is looking for’, Click Here. This Tool includes how to calculate a ‘Saleability Score’ for your business.
What do your honest answers to these 10 important ‘Why’ questions tell you about your business and your life? What needs fixing, improving or reinventing? What does that list look like and when will you start?
