The Master Idea

I just read an inspiring article in a magazine I picked up recently….here is an excerpt from that article….with a few of my added notes…

“Nothing else in the world….is so powerful as an idea whose time has come” Victor Hugo

A corporate Master Idea has the power to ignite and propel a company in the direction of its fullest potential.


Core Values

Trust, Optimism and Resilience work

In one survey, professionals who considered their company’s core values to be “crucial and part of everything we do” were:

300% more likely to believe their work is continually challenging;
200% more likely to feel energized when thinking about the job;
600% more likely to say they work for a superbly led organization;
200% more likely to report customer service as the driving force behind the organization

Those who believed their company’s values are unimportant, not motivating, not articulated or inconsistent were:

500% more likely to say they plan to leave their current job as soon as possible.

Source: Based on interviews with 750 professionals, with results to be published in ‘Business at the Speed of Molasses’ by Joey Reiman and Andrea Hershatter (Crown Business 2007)

A Higher Purpose

Working toward a higher purpose that captures a company’s soul is an idea whose time has come. Some of the most successful companies have realized the value of providing employees with meaningful aspirations.

Values First

By putting values and principles before money, the capacity of the organization can be harnessed in service of both a greater good and a profitable future. Master Ideas offer the promise that the deeper you look inside an organization, the more passion and celebration you will find. This translates into a bond with a marketplace that increasingly demands authenticity along with every transaction.

Companies that identify their Master Idea create corporate missionaries who contribute to its success. When an organization excavates its Master Idea, it harnesses a power that results from a clear, pure purpose. It provides a new way of thinking that invigorates and guides all aspects of the business.

The great news is that the Master Idea already lives inside your company. When you discover it, it will give depth to your culture, define your policies, guide your tactics and give rise to a strategy that holds it all together.

Many wonder, “If my company were to fold, would the world miss a beat?” If you have defined your company’s heart, the world most certainly would.

Ten Tests of a Master Idea

1. Do you know the founding sentiments that made your organization thrive?
2. Does the vision or purpose feel authentic? Distinctive? Enduring?
3. Can you articulate meaningful organisational values shared and lived by all?
4. Do you feel inspired to go to work each day?
5. Are creativity and innovation part of everyone’s job description?
6. Does your organization leave its communities better off than it found them?
7. Do you create something more significant than products and services?
8. Is your company on a heroic mission?
9. Do you earn profits in a way that is consistent with your purpose?
10. Does working toward your purpose enable you to earn profits?