The Beacon

The businesses that we are drawn to are led by a beacon.  They have an ideal that is greater than their product or service, and know how to connect both rationally and emotionally.

There is an emerging trend amongst the companies that are “winning” in today’s market – they  focus as much effort on maximizing their emotional  connection to their customer as they do on maximizing their rational connection.  It is not just about “what they do” but it’s about “why they do it.”  The scorecard on these organizations comes down to three measures: 1) Why they are in business; 2) How they run their business, and; 3) What their business offers. 

I will have you consider that question #3 (What your business offers) is what most organizations singularly focus on, and is the most obvious.  The problem is that most organizations can answer “what they do” but never get to the “why” and “how.”  They don’t create the beacon that, in this day, draws people to them.  To create that beacon requires an organization to start with question #1 and question #2 before focusing on #3.

Why are you in business?  What is your purpose?  This requires having a clearly defined mission and using a theory of change to help determine your direction.  It also requires metrics that allow you to measure your progress.  In beacon terms, this means getting clear on your backstory, your ability to tell that story to connect, and even acknowledging your “character flaws” to create relatability.

How do you run your business?  How do you create a positive impact on people?  This speaks to your work environment, your people, and your culture.  It’s the identity and the storylines that you use on a daily basis to communicate your message.  The organization’s beacon can be that of an industry leader, industry adventurer, a reporter, or a reluctant hero.  The storylines that an organization can use to live their story includes loss & redemption, “us” vs. “them,” before & after, or unique positioning.

Once you know why you are in business (backstory to mission) and how you will run your business (identity & storylines), then the “what” your business offers is simply about the depth and scale of your offerings and operations.

I’m not suggesting that clubs have to become “purpose-driven” organizations.  I am suggesting that the reason “purpose-driven” companies are thriving today is because they are focusing on their beacon first.  They are identifying why they are in business and how they will run their business and using these backstories, identities, and storylines to create a deeper connection.  They leverage their ideal as something greater than the product or service, and this is what draws people to them.

Products (the “what”) are commodities that are easily reproduced.  The beacon (“why” & “how”) are what differentiates organizations and draws (and keeps) customers.