Creating a successful brand is no different than a psychologist helping an individual to be more balanced and successful. Because your brand is nothing more than your company’s personality.
Know Yourself
Often, one of a therapist’s first and most important jobs is to help a patient understand themselves.
In his article “Core Values and Essential Intentions,” Phillip Moffitt says,
“Your path to well-being begins with understanding the values and intentions you want to live by.”
This holds true for you, as a person, and for your company’s brand.
Few people or companies have clarity in their values, goals, or intensions. To know yourself, or fully understand your brand, you must do some soul searching and define your values, goals and intentions.
Values
Values are, guides to decision-making and motivators for goals. Moffitt says that, “Values reflect your understanding of what really matters to you.”
I say that values are how you conduct yourself when no one is looking.
Goals
“Aspirations for the future that you seek to achieve.”
It is difficult to have “social consciousness” as a core value and goals all based on profits alone.
If your goals do not match your values, you must rethink your true values. When it comes down to it, that which you chose to measure as success provides an honest look at what really matters to you.
Intentions
“The Buddha taught that that the intention of our words and actions are the primary determinant of our karma. In daily life your intentions reflect the essence of who you are. They shape your words and actions.”
Intensions are how you will achieve your goals.
“Hiring only team members who share our corporate values.” would be a sound intention. As would, “We will put our customer’s success ahead of our bottom-line.”
Or, with a different set of values and goals, an intention may be, “Our corporate safety and soundness take precedent to all other factors, including customer satisfaction.”
You can see how each approach will have a different effect on pricing, operations, sales training … really, every aspect of your business. Neither intention is wrong, but you must come to terms with your values and goals before you can define the intentions for how you will act.
When you come to a fork in the road – take it.
~ Yogi Berra
When you understand your intentions, it is easier to make decisions when you find yourself at a fork in the road.
- When you are at the board table contemplating a new policy.
- When you’re pricing a new service.
- When your employee is face-to-face with a dissatisfied customer.
- When a manager is dealing with internal conflict.
Every action should be based in intensions, that are grounded in values and positioned to achieve future goals.
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