State Your Purpose
And “Why” Should I Care?
When it comes to meetings of any type (status updates, training, etc.) you’re probably missing the crucial first step. But first, some history on how I got to this point.
Recently I’ve been writing numerous answers to questions about training efficiency, effectiveness, measurement and so on. I’ve seen countless people provide their 2 cents about what makes a training course successful. However, I have yet to see anyone write about the purpose or the “why” statement.
What is a “Why” Statement?
A “why” statement provides the audience with a reason to pay attention, to care. It paints a picture of a desired end state that you’re looking to achieve and, especially with training, you believe you can help facilitate. Ideally it should be something that the audience desires to pursue and ultimately can’t do (at least not as well) without some help.
Your statement should be your promise to your team in exchange for their valuable time.
Goal Setting vs “Why” Statement
Before we get to far, let’s differentiate between goals and “why” statements.
A goal is a quantitative measurement of your desired outcome. It still needs to be defined in both desired end state and proposed timeline but it doesn’t have direct emotional ties. The “why” statement is qualitative and does have a direct emotional factor.
For example, let’s say that you’re a manager of a production team. You decide that you want to increase the level of production in the next quarter. Let’s take it one step further and say that you’ve identified that one of the problems is getting materials to your team on the assembly line.
Potential goal: Improve production capacity by 15% by the start of next quarter through better material distribution.
Potential “why” statement: Our team is comprised of innovators and thought leaders. Everyday you work to improve the lives of others. It is up to us to identify how we can do the same for you. To maximize your potential, we need to facilitate your efforts. By minimizing your struggles, we know that we continue to help you focus on what matters.
Admittedly, this statement is a bit long winded. Yours doesn’t have to be this way. What it does need to do is evoke an emotional response. Keep in mind that there are numerous emotions that you can evoke, not just happiness or desire. I would suggest though that you keep away from fear as much as possible…it’s generally not conducive to productivity.
Why do I Need a “Why” Statement?
“People don’t go to the whiskey bar because it’s cool. They go to the whiskey bar because they want to be cool.”
Unfortunately I’m unable to recall (or find via Google search) the owner of the quote above but in any case it fits the purpose. “Why” statements provide a sense of purpose, as well as a justification of time (keep in mind that the purpose of this article was to help improve training).
Your statement should be enticing to your audience to the point where it’s not an internal choice for them to participate, it’s a necessity. It should speak to their desires for growth and improvement. It should briefly lay out your plan to help them achieve something great.
By implementing a “why” statement into the beginning of your meetings (training), you will effectively help improve attention, retention and buy-in to the overall purpose and goals of the organization.
