Those of you who have followed my writings over the years know that I believe 100% in the power of love in life and in the workplace. Given this is the month of Valentine’s Day….I thought this was the perfect month to observe and embrace LOVE as a critical success factor in our personal and professional lives.  Having a strong passion for what we do, how we do it, who we do it with, and for whom we do it, is the magic. It is Alignment – in its purest form.

Love and passion are indeed the glue that binds a collection of individuals toward their common mission. The alignment of the team anchored in these common values is the critical aspect of creating a unified culture. These values create the culture which is the living, breathing environment in which work gets done, issues solved, and missions accomplished. Without a unified and pervasive culture, it is very difficult to sustain the energy and power necessary to survive and thrive in the world.

So, in answer to Tina Turner’s classic song “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

…..ALIGNMENT and LOVE have EVERYTHING to do with it! They are THE magic ingredients.

What Does LOVE Have To Do With It?There are many examples of successful cultures which clearly have the secret sauce to become leaders in their fields. An organization’s foundation may be its strategies and goals yet, the cornerstone for any organization or company is its values. The values inherent within that company, and more specifically, the way folks get things get done IS a company’s culture.

And yes, LOVE and ALIGNMENT around that love, are undeniable values.

So what do I mean by the LOVE ingredient or value? It is having a passion about the mission. It is sharing that passion with others who want also want to contribute to that mission. This is not reserved just for the senior level executives – this passion and “LOVE” for the company and/or organizational purpose – permeates from the receptionist to the front-line sales person to the custodian who sweeps the floors at night.What Does LOVE Have To Do With It?

Think about your business or organization. How do share and promote your mission? What is your individual and collective ‘why’ we do what we do? Is it ‘evergreen’…..in other words, will it be as true in 5 years as it is today?

We all know, given the ongoing changes in our world, in technology, etc…..the ‘how’ we get things done will also change. Yet, the ‘WHAT’ and the ‘WHY’ stays virtually consistent. Think about brands we admire….and those cultures whose mission and CULTURE have remained strong and consistent. Southwest Airlines. Boys and Girls Club of America. Whole Foods.  These organizations offer products and services which are consistent to their overarching mission. AND their employees embrace that mission…….and their constituents ALSO embrace that mission. An organization’s culture can (and does) make it different. And when a company or any organization really gets it right, it will change the fabric of the individuals within the organization and those with whom it serves and with whom it associates, for life. It creates an imprint. It begins a ripple effect.

NET: powerful cultures aligned around love create a sustainable differentiation in a world crowded What Does LOVE Have To Do With It?with mediocre attempts. What does love have to do with that?

 

EVERYTHING…..as love unites the collective intention on what we deliver to our customers, how we deliver it AND how to accomplish the collective mission together.