What is your venture’s core identity, in one word? If I took a look, would I give the same answer?
Working to optimize the impact of individuals, organizations, and industries, I often find myself talking about a venture’s core identity. Every time, it starts with a changemaker sharing a raft of seemingly unrelated problems. The ensuing conversation is confronting but inevitably brings palpable relief.
We juggle many balls. Which must not drop?
All of us — and our ventures — are more than one thing. We are children and parents. Partners and friends and siblings and pet parents. Leaders and neighbors and engaged citizens and mentors and changemakers. On a perfect day, all of these identities come together in seamless synergy. On a good day, none of the balls we juggle drop, and we live up to our full potential. It is the bad day, however, that’s the test.
On that not-so-good day, what must you be, even if at the cost of all else? What must not drop?
While not commonplace, such self-awareness exists. However, I rarely meet changemakers with this level of clarity about their venture. This leads to overwhelm and burnout for them and sets their ventures up for ineffectiveness and mediocrity. All — avoidable.
A conflicted venture is like a tangle of cords or a muscle knot
If you have ever had to unravel headphone cords or teared up during a deep tissue massage, you know tangles. When a muscle cannot flex as intended but rather spasms as part of a confused bundle, overcompensation leads to a knot. A single misaligned spinal disk can cause suffering. Energy doesn’t get to its destination. Simple things get complicated. The same happens in a venture.
Image credit: Vicki Becker from Pixabay.
Case study: what a split identity means in practice
This came into clear focus with an industry association (picture a Green Building Council (GBCs), the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), a national Association of Architects, or any other non-profit that seeks to encourage and advance industry best practice) that was run off its feet, busy and still struggling to satisfy its members.
Like many local membership-based nonprofits who had relied on events — from member networking to major conferences — for revenue, this organization watched its bottom slowly drop out as the pandemic shut down in-person activity across most of the US. My consulting practice Vivit was invited to support the next phase of strategic planning, which needed to chart a pathway to recovery for this organization. Upon diagnostics, at the heart of our effort was decluttering what had become quite a conflicted organizational identity.
We isolated not two or three but nine identities. Nine coexisting operating models with distinct value propositions. Nine identities competing for headspace, goodwill, and funding earmarked for one. Nine identities key to nine subsets of supporters.
What were those 9 identities sabotaging that organization?
Industry leader: Sets the course and charts the path towards an ever more thriving local industry.
Funnel for new talent: Cultivates and equips the next generation of industry professionals.
Advocate: Actively promotes/influences the changes industry wants to see.
Convener: Brings the right actors together to solve shared problems.
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