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THE ART OF WHY
You’ve probably heard of a BHAG – a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. But have you ever heard of the BHAW?
Big, Hairy, Audacious Why.
This is the one fundamental element that all successful people and companies have in common. They each have a clear understanding of their purpose. They all have a clear vision of what they do and who they are. But, even more fundamentally, and more importantly, they know why they exist.
In the film Ocean’s 11 (somewhat embarrassingly, I have to admit that I really like this movie), you recall that Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) and his team have a very strong purpose for robbing three casinos. Well, actually, they have several “whys” that converge into one mammoth purpose.
Their BHAWs drive them to pursue a heist that:
• has never even been attempted;
• requires split second timing;
• demands multiple players;
• requires elaborate resources;
• requires walking out of the casino with the money in front of thousands of unsuspecting gamblers;
• has a very low probability of success.
Why are they willing to do this, to take such a huge risks? For them, it distills down to just a few simple, but powerful reasons:
• For the challenge of doing it. No scam of this magnitude had ever been attempted.
• For the pay-off ($160+ million dollars). This heist had a very high reward if successful.
• As revenge for past actions done to members of the team. Emotions are strong motivators.
• And for the girl. At least for Danny Ocean, this is perhaps the biggest “why.”
All of these reasons are very big motivators by themselves; but, combined, they combust into a white-hot “why” that drives these men with laser-like focus.
GET BIG OR GO HOME
To paraphrase the rallying cry of extreme skiers - whose motto for going airborne is “get big (air) or go home” - you must get your “why” big, very big. If you don’t, you run the very real risk of suffering the gut-wrenching, too often career-defeating un-sustainability of a purely romantic idea based on infatuation instead of being based on an authentic purpose. Getting a big enough “why” is fundamental to achieving and sustaining any success. It goes beyond just identifying your or your business’s purpose(s); it about recognizing the thing(s) that will drive you forward to your goal through the inevitable struggles, fears, exhaustion, lack of confidence and setbacks you’ll experience.
In scripture, Paul recognized and identified his “why.” And it was big. In Philippians 3:10-11, he writes: “[My goal] is to know Him (Christ) and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.” (HCSB)
Paul then encourages us, showing us that with a big enough “why” we can endure. He continues in Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (HCSB)
As you can see with the Apostle Paul and as portrayed in the film, having a big enough “why” allows you to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal. A big “why” gets you past seeing the impossible to seeing that anything is possible.
GET QUIET. GET PERSONAL. GET TEST-Y
But how do you determine the “why” and then get it big enough that it sustains you through the inevitable struggles and fears you’ll encounter? That, my friend, is a very subjective undertaking. “Why” is personal. It may be altruistic. It could be philanthropic. It can be short-term or long-term. It might change over time.
A ‘why” can focus on relationships, finances, ego.
“Why” is truly for you only. You must determine it yourself.
For me, I ask a lot of questions -- of myself, others, God. I read. I get into a quiet spot and a quiet frame of mind. I explore the opinions of others in my circle of influence. I research and study. I pray for insights and discernment.
But then, I test-drive it. I run it through my mind in every way imaginable, looking at it from myriad angles. I write it down and read it, then re-read it, and read it some more. Does it move me? Does it withstand my scrutiny? Can I easily articulate it? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then my working “why” will never sustain me in the real world in real time.
Getting to the big “why” for your project, career or life is challenging; but, without determining it, clearly knowing it, and truly owning it, you’re headed for a season of stress, fear, futility and most likely failure.
Someone once said that it doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish that matters. I disagree a bit. It does matter how you start, because the better you start, the stronger your probabilities of success. The stronger you start, the better you finish.
But where you start should always be at Why.
‘Til next time,
Dennis Disney
D-Squared Entertainment
Watch for my new book coming in the next few weeks: First, Best, or Different - And Different Is Best. The Field Manual for Today's Artists, Authors, Managers and Executives.
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2004 Dennis Disney
D-Squared Entertainment
PMB-315 4117 Hillsboro Pike, Ste. 103
Nashville, TN 37215
615-287-9215 --- www.d2entertainment.com
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