Find Your Why: a practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team pdfdrive com

Nested WHYs:
Defining a Part of the Whole
An organization has a WHY. And within an
organization are teams—subcultures that exist
within the larger group. Each of these parts within
the whole will have its own WHY. We call that a
Nested WHY
—the purpose,
cause or belief that defines a subgroup within the larger organization. Then
within each of those teams are people who also have their own unique WHY—
their individual WHY. The goal is for each individual to work for a company in
which they fit the culture, share the values, believe in the vision and work on a
team in which they feel like they are valued and valuable.

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The reason to articulate a Nested WHY is the same reason an organization would
want to articulate the big umbrella WHY—because it gives people a sense of
identity and belonging. It allows teams and groups to identify with the people
they work with every day. It helps them understand their unique contribution as a
distinct group to the larger vision.
Think of the organization like a tree. Its roots and trunk represent its origin and
foundation. In that tree are branches—those branches are the divisions and
departments of the organization. And on those branches sit nests—those nests
are the subcultures or teams in the tree. And within each nest is a family of birds
who belong together. The goal for us as individuals is to know our WHY so that
we can more easily find the right tree and the right nest. The goal for an
organization is to know its WHY in order to attract the right birds. And the goal
for each team within the company is to make sure that they have the right birds
in each nest—those who will work together most effectively to contribute to the
organization’s higher purpose and cause.
America has a WHY—but so do Los Angeles and New York. I want to live in
America; the question is in which city should I live and work? It is possible for
someone to be in the right company but in the wrong nest. This can hurt their
performance, morale and self-confidence. Helping them to know which city to
live in, which nest to join, or in which group, team or subculture they best fit is