Clarity over Dollars?

by Don Harkey

A business owner is given a choice: Do you want to save 10% of your costs per year or do you want clarity on your organization's purpose and direction?

Most owners would probably pick the cost savings.

However, my experience is that most owners are much more satisfied with having clarity. I have done projects where I have saved companies thousands of dollars per month (or more!) and the owners tend to be satisified, but not as much as you would think. The response tends to be, "that's all it took?". It's almost strange... many of them actually seem to feel uncomfortable.

When I work with a client in assessing their organization and they begin to understand the core purpose of what they are doing, they undergo a transformation. They become energized and excited. They "get it".

My clients prefer clarity over dollars! This seems crazy at first, but it only highlights the fact that we really aren't supposed to be in it for the money. Besides, it's not like we are abandoning the money. Clarity is profitable. Companies whose employees know the core purpose of the company are 29% more profitable than other companies according to one study. They start to make improvements without management (NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!). Owners feel like they are no longer alone in what they do. Plus they can apply their new found clarity to new problems.

What is clarity worth to you?