I don't know if Simon Sinek needs an introduction. Many people have seen his TED Talk and read his book "Start with why". His Golden Circle inspired many people to find the reason for what they do, instead of focusing on the what and how (which is easier, of course). Apparently it's not so easy to find this "Why", so now there is the practical guide book "Find your why" that Sinek wrote with David Mead and Peter Docker. I recently read this new book and will discuss it here.
The book starts with a refresher of the first book, so if you have that still clear, you can skip this chapter. Then there are two directions: the discovery process for individuals and for teams (and organizations). If you're only interested in one of the two, you can skip the other part. The generic steps aren't very hard and look straightforward.
Step 1. Collect your stories. Not just any story about you, but stories that made an impact. The lessons learned from those stories will offer clues to who you are and what your why is. Choose five or six that made the biggest impact, that show you at your natural best. Share your stories with a partner or facilitator, someone who doesn't know you too well, who will ask questions and help to dig deeper.
Step 2. Identify your themes. A theme occurs in 2 or more stories. Choose a theme that feels like your unique contribution and one that covers the impact.
Step 3. Draft and refine a why-statement, using the format: TO _(contribution) SO THAT _ (impact) For example, Sinek's why: To inspire people to do the things that inspire so that, together we can change the world. Rewrite, try to make it specific.
I mainly read the individual process and won't discuss the group process here, as it's not my intention to give all details of this book. The remainder of the book goes into completing the Golden Circle (so, defining the how and what). How are the actions we take to bring your why to life, the what is the tanglible manifestation of the why. Your hows basically are your strengths. Finally, share your why and what you stand for.
Overall, it's a short and easy to read book. I like the optimism and energy of the authors, the examples that they give. I haven't tried to find my own why. Maybe I'm not fully convinced how (if) knowing my why would really help me. I think it's more helpful for a company, when it wants to have a mission, vision, etcetera. Or maybe it helps when you're in doubt what to choose (career, studies).
More information and tools can be found on the website Start with Why.
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