I can teach you “what to do”, “how to do it” or “why to do it.”
Which one would you like me to concentrate on?
Most of my students want to get right to the “what to do” and “how to do it.”
That’s because “what to do” and “how to do it” are EASY!
The “why” is the hard part.
The “what” and “how” are the easy part.
In fact you already know “what to do” and most likely even “how to do it.”
Imagine this situation …
A blind person is sitting in the far corner of a room with a window directly behind their left shoulder.
The room is filled with assorted tables, chairs, barriers and other obstacles and your job is to help the blind person get across the room of obstacles and out the door behind you.
You can tell them what to do.
That’s easy.
“Walk across the room, avoid the obstacles and go through the door behind me.”
But it’s not every effective.
You can tell them how to do it.
“Stand up slowly, keeping your head down below three feet, move forward six inches, turn at a 68 degree angle to the right, move your left foot up six inches … etc.”
Not quite as easy, it’s a slow process and maybe eventually the person will get to the door safely if you don’t mess up any of the instructions or they don’t mess up any of the steps.
Or you can simply tell the person a good reason why.
Imagine for a second that a masked person with a gun appears at the window behind the window behind the blind person.
Slowly they raise the gun and prepare to take aim at the blind persons head.
It’s your choice. You can …
Tell the person, “Walk across the room, avoid the obstacles and go through the door behind me.”
Tell the person, “Stand up slowly, keeping your head down below three feet, move forward six inches, turn at a 68 degree angle to the right, move your left foot up six inches … etc.”
or you can scream at the top of your lungs …
“There’s a man about to blow your head off with a gun! Get out of here, because he’s trying to kill you!”
I pretty much guarantee if you choose option three and the blind person believes you, they will find a way out of that room fast.
They may be banged up, but a good reason why makes people accomplish something.
- You already know what you should be doing.
- You probably even know how to do it.
If you find a good reason why, you will.
All the best,
Ken McArthur
KenMcArthur.com
jvAlertLive.com
OneDayIntensive.com
TheImpactFactor.com
Doesn’t the “Why” depend on the “What”? What prompted the need to take the required action, isn’t the “what” the answer to the “Why”?
Kinda gets a bit confusing, doesn’t it?
Richard, thanks for asking.
The brain operates from the inside out. The OLDEST part … the reptilian brain is most vital, because it keeps us breathing, keeps the heart beating, makes decisions about “fight” or “flight” — in short the things that keep us alive.
The next level up is the limbic brain.
The limbic brain emerged in the first mammals. It can record memories of behaviours that produced agreeable and disagreeable experiences, so it controls emotions in human beings.
The limbic brain is the seat of the value judgments that we make, often unconsciously, that exert such a strong influence on our behaviour.
The neocortex first assumed importance in primates and culminated in the human brain with its two large cerebral hemispheres that play such a dominant role.
These hemispheres have been responsible for the development of human language, abstract thought, imagination, and consciousness. The neocortex is flexible and has almost infinite learning abilities. The neocortex is also what has enabled human cultures to develop.
Luckily all of these areas of the brain work together to make us what we are, but keep in mind what’s most important to us.
We are biologically designed to make decisions from the inside out.
When we appeal to facts and figures, we miss the parts of the brain most likely to make decisions.
If you want to lead the masses or even just get them to buy your ideas, products and services, you can’t forget that the limbic areas of the brain which process the “WHY” is where we actually make that choice.
If you want people to take an action. Tell them why.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Very profound, but true.
Good analysis.
No, time to explain! either grab the person and shield as well as take them out or find a shield.
Teach me why.
Very good points here Ken. Answering why is so important…
Another part of what you’re speaking to is called the Reticular Activation System.
It’s is a powerful tool that is present in the brain and helps in accessing the programs that help us achieve success. RAS or Reticular Activation System helps in fulfilling goals and also directs our concentration towards certain goals. In addition, it acts as a filter and once the question why is answered the brain removes the unnecessary information that now makes no sense. It processes the important information while looking for and sorting similar patterns that are already present in the brain. When the question why is answered this information is processed first. So, if you want someone to make a decision quickly, such as a buying decision
you must first earn their permission by answering why they should.
Great input Bret!
People are motivated by why, not how or what. If I know why I’m doing something, I’ll figure out the how and what. If you have a big enough “Why” you can do amazing things. If you doubt that, rad Mother Teresa’s story. Her why was to make sure people could die with dignity.
Like our friend, John DiLemme says, “Find your why and fly”
Exactly Jim!
What I like about this article is the excuses of “I don’t know what to do.”or “I don’t know how to do.” Are completely dissolved by the why question? If the endeavor you start means a lot to you, you will work at it like your life depends on it.
Exactly Dwan!
Powerful Ken! I love the why… I back it up further to how they want to feel. If you make people feel you can incite them to action. Tell a blind (or any) man there’s a gun pointed at his head and you instill fear. That’s why “The Why” works so well!
Perfect Lori!
This is looking very familiar! Back in a room in Denver…and Philly! 🙂
But the message resonates just as clearly. You can work on willpower for a little while. But until you are pulled instead of pushed, it ain’t gonna happen. Great piece, Ken!