All successful companies are masters of pivoting, adapting and changing. But there’s a necessary step before initiating any change—a purpose, a goal, a vision must be defined. This will be your “why.” Sticking to it won’t be challenging because your “why” is what makes you excited in the morning, the reason you show up and give the best of yourself to your clients. 

Just like a song must be written before the performance, you must find your “why” before putting change into motion. And the more uncertain the market is, the greater the pressure, and the more you have to hold onto that “why” because it’s the North Star you can always follow. It’s always there for you, even in the middle of the night when you’re overwhelmed with doubts and surrounded by uncertainties. 

Not quite convinced examining your “why” is what you need right now? Think again. Pivoting organization, processes and offers is way more efficient when you know why you’re fighting. This is not necessarily about changing your “why” but rather strengthening and leveraging it. The pandemic is spurring paradigm shifts. Traditional ways of doing things and conventional wisdom are challenged—but you can come out of this stronger if your “why” is strong. 

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Why You Should “Start With Why”

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Simon Sinek inspired the world to “Start with Why” in his 2011 insightful book. He defined the “why” as the organization’s ultimate goal, beyond their range of products and services. Take Asana, a Silicon Valley company that developed a project management solution. Its “why” is “to help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly” and it’s grounded in human values. The story actually began at Facebook where Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Asana, developed a tool to facilitate collaboration in the social network’s early years. The process triggered a more fundamental reflection on collaboration—could this new internal tool improve teamwork elsewhere? Just as Facebook was taking off, Dustin Moskovitz resigned to start Asana with Justin Rosenstein. He didn’t hesitate leaving what was becoming one of the biggest companies at the time.

Finding your “why” requires exploring your own values, asking yourself the right questions, challenging yourself and getting feedback. Getting out of your bubble and facing real-life situations is a necessary step because what you believe is a problem may not be one for someone else.

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Your “Why”, A Key Driver for Agility

Do you remember a time when every decision made yielded exceptional results? When you instinctively knew what strategy to use for innovative solutions to a complex problem? If you’re feeling stuck right now, it may be because you’re just too good at your game. It’s human nature, you’re trying to leverage past experiences for success but you’ve forgotten to renew yourself in the process. You’re still using the same strategies but challenges are evolving. The best way to move forward is to relearn how to learn. This means switching your mindset when you’re not reaching optimal performance—basically deconstructing and rebuilding while keeping your “why” front and centre.

It’s important to find your “why” and it’s crucial to share it with your employees. It must be the focal point for all team members. Silicon Valley is a distinctive ecosystem where the power of the “why” often surprises outsiders, but it’s a strength that provides the flexibility to pivot often—occasionally several times a week!—without getting lost. Teams always know where they’re headed and agility is built into the DNA of the organization.

The “Why” at RealChange

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The “why” at RealChange has always been to connect clients with the best of Silicon Valley’s innovation to create value-added experiences. The goal is to lead them and help them find sources of creativity, innovation and success within themselves from the experiences we provide. It’s all about positive development inspired by the energy of Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

Our “why” remains unchanged through the pandemic. In fact, it was strengthened through inspiring and stimulating experiences illustrating human and entrepreneurial aspirations at their best. But nowadays, we don’t just tap into the Bay Area—we focus on “Silicon Valley and Beyond” because innovation is everywhere. We are building bridges to connect different worlds to benefit people. We have one motto—contributing to build a better future for all.

Pursuing your “why” day to day is important but it’s downright crucial in times of crisis and through turbulence. Your “why” must strengthen your purpose, which is to be part of something greater than yourself. Sometimes this “why” needs to be woken up or dusted off. If this is you, there’s nothing better than connecting to global innovation and asking yourself key questions about the difference you really want to make. That’s what we’re here for!