Going Beyond — step 1; Defined Purpose
As previously mentioned, my recent TEDx talk discussed the idea of Going Beyond; pushing yourself further to achieve incredible things and inspire others. In this post I wanted to discuss the first stage of the Pyramid of Beyond — Defined Purpose.
In the talk, I describe this as understanding what you’re all about, what your ‘why’ is. This should be at the heart of your decision making, a North Star you can return to again and again when making decisions. But how do you find out what your Defined Purpose is?
I have worked in the creative industry since 1998 owning and running design agencies. My current agency, Thursday, (founded on Thursday 10th January, 2008) has carried out many rebranding projects for companies large and small across a huge variety of sectors. The key to a successful rebrand is process. Our process at Thursday starts with deep Discovery — finding out as much as we can about the organisation; its audiences, its objectives, its competitors, its current position, the marketplace it inhabits. We speak to many different people during this process, interviewing clients, directors, staff, suppliers and partners. This deep dive into the organisation allows us to unearth key insights, which then start to form the basis for the new brand position.
The positioning falls into the second stage of our process; Definition. At this stage we create a unique, compelling brand position; a Why, How and What. We also create values and a personality, which helps to create a fully formed brand position for the organisation. This becomes the heart of the brand, from which the creative work evolves; visually and verbally.
This process works beautifully for organisations, but does it work for individuals? Certainly we have helped to create personal brands for some of our clients, so we know that it does work, however it can be a long and complex process and as such is difficult for individuals to carry out on their own.
To that end, my advice when trying to pick out your Purpose is simple. Firstly, don’t worry — you don’t need a huge budget and an award-winning design studio to do the work! Fundamentally you will inherently know what your Purpose is, you just need to articulate it. Secondly, there are a number of ways you can discover your Why.
You can use any number of online tools; personal strength finders, personal values tools, etc. These are a good way to find out what makes you tick, where your passions are and what gets you out of bed in the morning! We have this brilliant online tool, which we call Archie, which asks a number of questions based around Brand Archetypes — the results will show you which Archetype you align with and the associated purpose, strategy and possible messaging.
I also find that writing and journalling are wonderful ways to unearth these values. The act of journalling, scribbling, long form writing, diary entries etc. really helps to get your thoughts out of your head and into the world. Reflect on these, read back your thoughts, pick out key phrases and themes. You will soon start to identify patterns and areas which clearly resonate with you.
Ask people! As with our creative process, don’t be afraid to ask close friends, family, work colleagues to describe you. A simple way to do this, and one we often use to describe brands, is to just ask for three simple words.
There are hundreds of books out there. The obvious choice is Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, but don’t limit yourself, there are so many choices, ask around, find out what resonates with others, especially those you trust and have lots in common with.
The honest truth is that there is no right way of doing this. There are many tools, tricks, books, podcasts and tips out there. Explore all of these and find one what resonates with you, the important thing is to actually do it. As mentioned in my talk, once you understand your North Star, it tends to stay well rooted; it is the foundation for your thinking and actions. You should revisit it from time-to-time, especially if you find that some of your actions or choices feel ‘wrong’.
As with the Pyramid, this becomes the foundation of your very being, what you believe in and what shapes your decision making, so take your time and get it right. In my experience you will know when it lands — it feels right.
Next time I will discuss step 2; Recognised Strengths.
