– Katie Hutchinson, CEO of KHIT Consulting
If you haven’t seen the Ted Talk about “Starting with Why”, you may be in the minority. (You can click
HERE and watch it; I’ll wait…)
Now that you are caught up, tell me, what is your Why? Why do you do what you do every day, getting
up each morning, traveling to work walking to your home office, logging in and logging hours? In my BNI,
Opportunities Unlimited (shameless plug), we have featured presenters each week. Every presenter
starts with his or her Why. The first slide of the PowerPoint (a rant about those later) is littered with
adorable pictures of significant others, children, and pets. And yes, taking care of all of endearing family
members, covered in fur or not, is the reason we earn money. But… but why do you do what you do?
Real Talk: According to some articles I found, only about 15% of those in the workforce are engaged in
their work. Of course, this doesn’t mean they don’t work hard, coming in early, staying late and taking
on more responsibility than is required. What it does mean is that up to 85% of those who clock in and
out every day, either literally or figuratively, are not engaged. Google defines engage as a verb that
means: “to occupy, attract or involve (someone’s interest or attention); to participate or become
involved in”. In the classroom, when teachers are observed by administrators, students are to be
engaged, not just participating. So what’s the difference? How can one participate and not be engaged?
Becky Squiers simply describes the difference by stating that participation is taking action and
engagement is making an investment. John Stephens gives the example of voting. To participate in
voting is easy. You make sure you are registered, find your site, show up on election day, and cast your
vote. But are you engaged? An engaged voter is invested; he/she may take the time to research
candidates, even reaching out to some. An engaged voter may even volunteer at a voting booth. It’s
possible a voter could participate in one election, maybe it’s small or seemingly unimportant, and be
engaged in another.
So ask yourself, are you engaged or are you just participating? Are you working to feed your family or
are you working to feed your soul? Click here for a collection of articles I curated to help you find your
why. I run KHIT Consulting because I wanted to create a place for people to work where they feel
empowered to learn, grow and succeed by failing. I want to grow a company that solves our clients’
problems and helps them sleep better at night. I have a vision of inspiring others to realize that it’s not
okay to be complacent, to stay where they are, to stop growing. Hug your family and then go find your
why.
