How We Get to the Why
I ask stupid questions…because stupid questions get us to the answers we need.
They’re not exactly “stupid,” I suppose. Maybe I should call my questions “purposefully uninformed.” You know, the questions that force someone to explain why they do what they do. The questions that someone within an industry space would never ask…but someone from the outside would, could and can.
It happened again recently, as I worked with a DMO Board grappling with a dilemma. The debate rolled for a few minutes until I innocently asked, “why would you do that?" (knowing full well why they were considering it).
Almost in unison, three Board members exclaimed, “Exactly!” Which caused the rest of the Board to sit up and question their own position on the proposal on the table. Without the “why” question, the majority of the Board could have simply nodded their heads and gone along. When those three members vocalized what everyone in the room was thinking, it set up a fascinating shift in critical thinking that wouldn’t have happened if somebody hadn’t asked, “why?”
Which, of course, is at the root of Simon Sinek’s sensational book and TED Talk, “Start with Why.” But, it’s also the crux of Beth Comstock’s book “Imagine It Forward.”
Written by the former Vice-Chair of GE (and named by Forbes and Fortune as one of the world’s most powerful women), the book has something for everyone in business. Of course “something for everyone” results in a book that can be maddening at times, switching from personal journey to business maxims to zen-like insights. While every reader will find truths that work for them…they will come at different points in this book.
It wasn’t until the final chapters that the book came alive for me. While there were truths sprinkled throughout that I highlighted (yeah, I still highlight), Beth’s closing thoughts elevated me to where I need to be for my clients going forward. Yeah…I always poke. But, when I get push-back, I tend to acquiesce, because it is, after all, their community and organization. I can only offer my take. If they reject it, c’est la vie.
But, after reading Beth’s account of the organizational and cultural transformation of GE, I do not believe I can continue down the “poke and acquiesce" path. If you engage DMOproz, we’re going to press our agenda until you really push back. And, here’s why:
As Beth nails it, “the pace of change is never going to be slower than it is today.” As such, we must ask the hardest questions…or get swallowed up in the debris of disruption. Among the questions she recommends:
Who is the customer and what are the needs we are trying to solve for them? If we really drill down on this one, the customer is not the consumer…it is our residents. And, what do they need that we can provide?
What is our strength (what do we do better than most; our unfair advantage)? DMOs are adept at marketing place. Thus, shouldn’t this position us as the marketing professionals for our community for every reason…not just visitors?
What is the Business Model (how will we get paid)? To perform our magic on behalf of a community, we must have revenue streams beyond Room Tax, n’est ce pas?
Beth closes her book with this: "You have to believe two things: (1) tomorrow can be better than today, and (2) you have the power to make it so."
Yes…we do.
“Don’t tell me you’re not empowered. Grab your own permission. No one is going to give it to you.”