As part of our series of workshops commissioned by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Asking Better Questions challenged a selection of business professionals across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to explore their personal motivations and how they impact business strategy.

Working on yourself

Often, we’re told to take time out to work on business strategy, but these two-hour workshops identified how working on ‘you’, exploring your personal values and understanding the motivations that drive you, can bring business focus and enable positive action. 

What is your ‘why’?

It’s all about our personal ‘why’ and if you haven’t thought about it lately, it’s time. Seeking and acknowledging our motivations and ambitions can actively help us to make better business choices – both now and in the future.

It’s all about ‘you’: Keeping you at the heart of your business thinking

Do you have a clear idea of what motivates you? How about a firm understanding of your personal purpose and values? 

If not, then you need to get some clarity. It’s about more than personal identity; turning the spotlight on yourself means your better positioned to question why you make certain business decisions. Are there other avenues you could be pursuing that could drive business success? What about challenging yourself by disrupting the status quo?

Exploring your thinking, methods and approach means you can make sense of what’s important to you and how you can integrate these values into your business planning and strategy, avoiding poor outcomes, unintended consequences and failures. 

The Three Personalities – Who are you?

Michael E Gerber, author of The E Myth Revisited, is well-known for busting the ‘entrepreneurial myth’ that entrepreneurs invest in business solely to make things happen and create wealth. There are several, real challenges involved in developing a business but, according to Gerber, multiple personalities are needed to make it a success.

Gerber highlights that the ideal business leader has a blend of three personalities:

1 - Entrepreneur:

Traits: Visionary, lives in the future, innovator, creative, personality, craves control.

2 - Manager: 

Traits: Pragmatic, lives in the past, planner and organiser, cling to status quo, craves order. 

3 - Technician: 

Traits: Tinkers, lives in the present, happy to be working on one thing at a time, interested in ‘how to do it’.

We need to consider which personalities match our purpose and ambitions and can drive collaboration. If you can’t see yourself within these, ask yourself “who’s fulfilling these roles within the business?”.

“If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business – you have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world because you’re working for a lunatic.”

Michael E. Gerber

What’s going on?

Personal awareness is important as it is vital in helping you to implement the following:

• Pay attention – Know where the value is within the business and protect your assets by understanding who does what.

• Recognise your strengths – Whether you know stuff, have management skills or entrepreneurial flair you need to know where you fit within the business.

• Revisit vision – You need a shared vision of the future, it’s never too early start asking, ‘What’s next’.

• Succession plan – Recognise what is necessary to take a business to the next level but don’t stray too far from your values.

• Make tough decisions – Change can be painful so minimise the blow by driving change and safeguarding culture

• Think ahead – Your view of the future will drive daily choices so plan ahead to stay on track.

The why, how and what…

Many larger organisations struggle because staff see the way senior managers work as inauthentic. Tension and stress comes from doing things in a way that doesn’t sit with personal view and values so having everyone ‘on board’ is key to strong and successful leadership.

What’s important to you? Strong leadership will come from nurturing a culture where your values align with those of the business and your team. Not every value will be an exact match, and you’ll prize some more than others, but the following 10 key traits have been identified as having the greatest impact on business success.

1. Leadership and values

What kind of leader are you? What kind of leader do you hope to be based on your values? Work with people that align with your values so you can work collaboratively and build a positive culture.

2. Wealth

For many, building wealth goes beyond just making money, but how about you? Think about what you are creating with your wealth and its importance to you.

3. Time

Does your business take up all your time? Maybe that’s okay. If you’re spending your time in ways that make you feel fulfilled, that’s great. If you’re frustrated, not so much.

4. Lifestyle

Are you in a particular business because of the lifestyle it affords you? Think about the type of lifestyle you want to lead and how the business aligns.

5. Workplace culture

Do you have a preference about how you influence the workplace culture and your teams? As a manager, you have a huge influence on culture so think about where you want it to be.

6. Passions

Can you pursue your passion thanks to your business? For some, it’s not so important but passion is often the driving force for business success so ensure they align. 

7. Customer relationships

Are you the key person to manage and maintain customer relationships? If you love them, then crack on, if not, then there’s no harm in delegating.  

8. Exit

Have you thought about leaving your business? Maybe it’s your main focus. Many people leave the exit strategy too late so start with the end in mind so you know how it will drive your strategy.

9. Succession

Are you thinking about succession? Who will take over your job to let you pursue your lifestyle and passions? Don’t wait until it’s absolutely necessary, consider who can manage and their progression. 

10. Dreams

Are you in business to follow your dreams and make a success? Your business could be the vehicle to help you achieve your dreams but you have to think and plan, dreams aren’t just realised overnight.

Your personal purpose

Your business and organisational direction will be driven from and by your personal purpose - authenticity only truly comes from having both in alignment. 

If you need support and advice on how to harness your ‘why’, drop us a line for a confidential, no obligation chat at steve@askingbetterquestions.co.uk.