My conversation with Martin Irisarri made me think about the different kinds of knowledge you absorb during your career. His story might make you see your own expertise with fresh eyes and how you come across when you talk about it to customers. Martin Irisarri (pictured above with his wife and fellow director, Sarah) is… Read more
Vision and values are good things. The stories behind them are even better.
Many companies list their values on their websites. That’s great. It gives me a benchmark to measure them by. But when I read these lists I want to know the stories behind the vision and values. Why do things like ‘quality’ and ‘integrity’ and ‘creativity’ matter to you? If you tell me why, I’m more… Read more
Don’t see eye to eye with your team? Tell the story of why you care.
(Telepathy’s not an option.) Before I set up my own business, I used to think the idea of ‘values’ and ‘mission statements’ was a bit of stuff and nonsense. Empty words that rang hollow. (Blame my BBC scepticism.) But now that I have immersed myself in the entrepreneurial world, interviewing people who put everything on… Read more
The story behind your business values. Not sure what it is? Or what it’s worth? Read on.
The values you bring to your work were shaped long ago. Well before you applied for your first job or set yourself up in business. And if you’re like the ‘amazing and driven’ person below, you’re probably taking your values for granted. Don’t! As Mebrak’s story shows, your values help you to stand out from… Read more
Build trust. Tell the story of your purpose.
If your audience is sceptical, tell the story behind your product. Why and how you’ve gone to such lengths to develop it. This is the story of the ODC. An insightful profiling tool that takes 10 minutes to complete but took its creator, Willem de Jager, 15 years to perfect. “I was struggling with the… Read more
