<Toolkit> Golden Circle Exercise

Starting with why + storytelling.

Member’s Only Toolkit

Simon Sinek became a household name among business folks and TED Talk lovers when he delivered his speech on why the greatest brands and organizations start with why instead of the how or what.

His message reframed how we think about iconic brands and why people attach to some messages while ignoring others. The exercise below takes Simon Sinek’s idea and grounds it in the tangible reality of a business.

Why use it?  

Why does a company exist? Why should people care that it exists? And how can we connect the dots of that why down to the day to day reality of the business?

The Golden Circle Exercise helps us work backwards from why into how our companies support our why, what the end product is, and captures stories that support all of the above.

I’ve used a version of this exercise for the past 10 years at various organizations, and the storytelling is what makes everything come together. Stories are how we communicate with each other, and capturing stories that connect back to our why are the bridge that allows others join in on our mission.

How to use it?

Use the button below to create a copy of the Golden Circle Exercise.

Start by watching Simon Sinek’s original speech, linked in the document. While the video is dated, the message is as relevant as ever. Even if you’ve seen it before, re-watch it so the framing is recent and readily available as you go through the rest of the exercise.

After watching the video you will go through a series of questions that will help you work backward from your organization’s why into the stories that you can tell the capture the essence of your message.

Think of this exercise as a living document that you can re-visit every year, updating the Story Bank so that you and your team are using the stories that reinforce your company’s raison d'être.