Why Before How And How Before What

When I was setting up Still Waters it was all pretty chaotic in my head for a while.  I spent several near-sleepless nights (why is it so much more chaotic at night?!) trying to work out the detail of what I was going to do when I remembered Simon Sinek’s ‘golden circle’ model.  Focus first on “Why?”, then “How?”, and the “What?” will look after itself.   

Sinek’s TedX talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action has been watched over 14 million times on YouTube since it was first uploaded in 2010. I’ve certainly seen it myself at least it a dozen times and it has become a regular tool in my team coaching and facilitation work. Sinek essentially uses three case studies – Apple, Martin Luther King and the Wright Brothers – to demonstrate the model he has codified. It’s simple but compelling – and I’ve found it a brilliant tool for when helping clients who are working on defining their collective purpose. Yes it is US-centric, and yes Sinek can appear a little too pleased with himself – but I find the content to be well worth overlooking those small quibbles.

And now it has helped me. The ‘why?’ of Still Waters might seem tiny on the page but it means the world to me. It provides me with an unshakeable faith in the ‘how?’ and the ‘what?’ The ‘how?’ that follows gives voice to the values and beliefs that underpin my work, and acts as a sort of set of guide rails for both me and people I work with. And by getting these sorted first, the ‘what?’ has flowed easily and copiously. It has been natural and obvious to me, and I’m hoping of interest and value to others

I use tools a lot in my work, for the benefit of those I’m working with, and so it’s really nice to be able to validate this one with personal experience.