What and how are two inseparable brothers: the first is more famous and well known, while the second is shyer and more reserved :-)
The "what" is very important, but behind personal and corporate success there is always the how and the why!
We all want the most enjoyable and interesting job, but that is not always possible.
In the world of work, a book that captures the power of how is FISH. A little book that has sold an impressive 5 million copies worldwide.
A book to read both to improve your own motivation at work and to raise a team's morale.
Fish Fish tells the story of Mary Jane, a brilliant manager full of enthusiasm despite having faced difficult times in her life.
One day, she is asked to lead the difficult accounting team at a major Seattle financial institution. They were known as the people from the “third floor”, an ill-regarded group considered slow, negative and unproductive.
After a few months, MJ achieved a miracle, completely transforming both the team and how it was perceived.
The solution did not come from some management guru, but from the fish market, where Lonnie taught Mary the art of play: how to work seriously and successfully while having fun. Lonnie successfully managed a group of fishmongers who, despite their hard, exhausting work (up at 5 every morning to unload hundreds of kilos of smelly fish, etc.), always had smiles on their faces.
The page explaining the secret of play
The final message is that any job can be improved by working on how we do it.
The secret is to introduce elements that help us maintain a positive mood (it can be as simple as a little ball to throw between colleagues, a game, a joke, an amusing metaphor, etc.).
Enthusiasm is a state of mind, and the secret is to have fun.
Companies should nurture a culture of fun, smiles and play, because these elements allow us to work productively even on "boring" tasks.
As Lonnie tells Mary Jane:
"Do not be misled! This is a business in every sense, run to make a profit. Everyone here takes work seriously. But we discovered we could work seriously and have fun at the same time."
Companies are often misled. In general, I believe seriousness should be sought in behaviour and results, and less in formality (clearly depending on the market and customers).
It is important to have as many people as possible with the right attitude, optimism and capacity for enthusiasm.
I have met cheerful people who could make any job attractive, and others who were never satisfied despite working on the most stimulating things of the moment.
Staying in business, we could say the how is all about execution!
Today's world is full of ideas, but the difference lies in how they are put into practice (read vision vs execution).
In eating, I found an application of how rather than what that has helped me a great deal in staying in shape. Many people focus on what to eat, but I believe the secret is actually how to eat.
Here is the link to my simple theory 😃 which has always worked for me.
Finally, let's discuss why. If finding the how helps us tackle less appealing activities, finding the why gives them a sense of purpose, a higher meaning. Finding our why gives us a different kind of energy
What is our higher goal?
If I train every day, is it because I do not want my belly to grow, or because I want to increase my life expectancy so I can travel in old age or watch and help my children grow?
Do I teach to earn a living, or to prepare young people for life and equip them with every useful intellectual tool?
In business, companies and brands also need to find their why! What does the company believe in?
On this subject, I recommend listening to Simon Sinek's 2010 TED talk (you will find it a few paragraphs above in this article), which explains the golden circle concept (How, What, Why), and reading about Seligman's psychology of happiness.