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  • Alissa Isenhath

#RadicalHonesty - The How & The Why

They’re not mutually exclusive


When people talk about business, they use a lot of fancy words. Metrics. ROI. Optics. Strategy. Analytics. Conversion. Engagement. Action Plan. Solutions.


It’s a bunch of left-brain stuff.


I get it. Left-brain stuff is important. It’s what defines how we present our companies to the world. It also defines how well we’ve done our jobs in reaching our prospects and turning them into clients.


The “words” are our measuring stick. We need that. We need to know how much we’ve grown and if we’re keeping up with where we wanted to be.


They’re our “how”.


But the right brain stuff.


That’s our “why”. And nobody talks about it.


I don’t get it. They’re not mutually exclusive. The “how” doesn’t exist without the “why”.


Ah, but the sterile world of business wishes it did. They want us to believe that it’s not professional to display emotion.


That’s just bullshit. You know it is. There’s not one single circumstance in life that doesn’t include some kind of emotion. We’re not automatons.


It seems to me that the business community, as a whole, seems to think the only thing that’s important is the “how”.


They’re wrong. The “why” needs to co-exist for it all to make sense.


And, more importantly, to continue guiding us forward. Business trends change so fast that you’ve just learned one principle before it’s replaced with a “new and improved” version.


But your “why” never changes. It’s steadfast, a beacon to guide you home when you’ve lost your way. Or a guiding principle that always points you in the right direction.


Why would we not include this in everything we do? In everything we think?


Are we afraid of it? Does it make us weak?


Is it unprofessional???


Ah, and that’s the crux of the thing, isn’t it?


Somewhere along the line, showing emotions became synonymous with being weak, fragile and unprofessional.


(I daresay this thought-pattern was probably propagated by someone terrified of his/her own emotions.)


I implore you to throw that way of thinking right out the nearest window. It’s serves no good purpose and is ultimately detrimental.


Would you agree that there is a tidal wave of a problem in the US workforce with stress?


Every time we turn around, there is another study being published on the negative impact of stress in our lives and on our bodies.


Another test to measure your stress level. Another “Top 10 Tips to Manage Stress” article to read. Another pill to pop.


It’s seemingly never-ending.


Why? Why are we so stressed as a nation?


Of course, the true answer is that there are as many reasons for that as there are US citizens. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that work is one of the top 2.


How can anyone work in an environment that expects, first of all, perfection? How many employees are chastised, or worse, for one mistake?


My God, part of the nature of the human condition is imperfection.


So, there’s our first disconnect.


Then, we’re also expected to be completely incongruent with our authentic selves by tamping down all displays of emotion.


And there’s a second disconnect.


Is it any wonder that we’re a nation of stressed-out workers?


As I’ve said before, I sure don’t have all the answers. But I can tell you this much.


Nothing changes if nothing changes.


So be a pioneer. First, give yourself permission to be congruent. Show your humanity.


No one needs to know your innermost secrets, but a few displays of true emotion will create a bond with your employees that no performance review ever will.


And why is that? Because people like, and trust, people that they can relate to.


It’s interesting times we live in, isn’t it? We are more connected than ever, with 24-hour news and social media and the entire world literally at our fingertips in the form of our cell phones.

And yet, loneliness and disconnection are reaching epidemic proportions.


More than anything, human beings crave connection. By showing that you are congruently human and relatable, you are forging those connections.


Trust that you will function at a higher, and more productive, level by incorporating your “why” into everything you do. Write it down and keep it front and center.


If you want to get really crazy, empower your employees to do the same.


Here’s my example: One of my rental managers let me design our company website. It was sure not in my job description, but it was something for which I felt a real passion. That enthusiasm spilled over into other tasks and it forged a very tight bond with my manager.

She let me “follow my bliss” and it paid off in a big way for everyone involved, including the company.


Having a plan for growth and positioning is vitally important to the success of any business. There have to be goals and research and forecasts and tools of measurement.


You can’t chart where you’re going if you can’t figure out where you’ve been.


I get that.


Most companies stop right there. It’s all strategy. It’s all how to get ahead and how to gain market share.


Take it that step further. Add in your heart. Add in your why.


Make it all make sense.


It may take time, but I’ll bet you anything that the view from the top will be well worth the extra climb to get there.

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