I’ve been thinking a lot lately about something Jim Collins said: Preserve the core and stimulate progress.
It sounds simple enough. But I’ve seen how easy it is to get those two things mixed up, even when you’re trying to do what’s best for the business.
It reminds me of something Gino Wickman talks about: the soul of your business. Your Core Values and Core Focus make up that soul. They’re what define who you are, why you exist, and what you do best.
I’ve seen this firsthand at EOS Worldwide. We have a team of about 35 people supporting more than 950 independent EOS Implementers. And sometimes people get so wrapped up in the way we do things that they forget why we’re doing them in the first place.
They become attached to a process or approach and resist changing it, even when the business needs something different.
I think of a business almost like a living organism, constantly evolving and adapting to what’s happening around it. We might change our products, services, or plans as we grow. In fact, I expect us to.
But that doesn’t mean everything should be up for grabs.
Someone once suggested changing one of our Core Values from Grow or Die to Grow and Thrive.
I can see why that might sound more appealing. But that’s not who we are.
We’re hard-charging, driven entrepreneurs who help other entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses. Grow or Die reflects something fundamental about us.
We’ve refined the wording of our Core Focus over the years, but we’ve never changed what we believe in or why we’re here. And I don’t think we should change those things just to appeal to everyone.
When people believe in the soul of the business, there’s an incredible amount of energy pulling in the same direction. Not everyone will share those beliefs, and that’s OK. I think the most respectful thing we can do is be clear about who we are.
I want us to keep growing and finding better ways to serve entrepreneurs. But I also want to build something that endures, with a culture that outlasts any one of us.
So during your next Clarity Break, ask yourself: Are you holding on to something that needs to change, or changing something you should be protecting?
