To be or not to be: http://bit.ly/lifetimeofmeaning “All the learned and authentic fellows.” -Shakespeare

Gilmore & Pine:
Axiom #1 If you are authentic, then you don't have to say you're authentic.
Axiom #2 If you say your authentic, then you'd better be authentic.
Axiom #3 It's easier to be authentic if you don't say you are authentic.

Companies need more people like you that realize the importance of making sure employees understand that they contribute in a big way by doing their jobs with a positive attitude and living the brand. That's one of the toughest issues with companies that have a great brand at the core, but a lot of personnel issues. Those things have to be worked out before the brand can thrive.

I also think it's great that you're coaching authenticity. It may seem like a simple concept but it's a lot harder for companies to practice in the real world. There's a lot that goes into being authentic! A lot of times circumstances have taught companies to compromise who they are or what they do and it's difficult to go back to being authentic. There are habits, practices, and mindsets that have to be changed. I love how Imagine More provides the tools to accomplish that.

And yes, it's a shame when some organizations don't seem to have a soul because they're narrowly focused on the numbers, and don't seem to care about also being a good company that adds something to the world. I guess that just leaves our work cut out for us!

You've drawn some excellent conclusions that explain several different problems I've seen in companies lately. One would be their difficulty in embracing social media. We coach them to "be authentic," yet they have no idea what that means. Another would be in explaining to employees why their job is important with a reason other than a paycheck. The benefits to having employees that understand the bigger picture is incredible. I've found there's not much you can't do with a team that "gets it."

I love the way you describe the coaching process to uncover the company's soul. It is so needed. The companies that have one succeed and excel, and the ones that don't seem to enjoy only fleeting success, if any. It's tough though. I can recall sitting in executive management meetings trying to draw that out and never eliciting a goal other than revenue growth. I think some companies really don't know why they exist.

Thanks for such a great post. You've really engaged my thinking cap.

Yes, that devil on the shoulder can lead people to go with what they "wish" they were, or what they think is hip to be, or whatever makes the coolest tagline. But a core value isn't something that can be conjured. It has to already exist within. There will be situations where either an agency team member or a client will push in a different direction. Maybe they have personal motivations that are in conflict with the brand, maybe they fall prey to "invented here" mentality, or maybe they're just rushing. Or as you say, they could be looking for quick revenue and aren't thinking about the soul of the brand being compromised. There are any number of situations. That's when a true Brand Whisperer is invaluable. (Whether inside or outside an organization) They have to be the one who shuts out the superfluous, lets go of expectations and politics, doesn't succumb to outward pressure, and just lets the brand speak.

I tell clients that their core value comes from within them. I can't "give" them a core value that the brand doesn't naturally possess. With unskilled guidance, they could easily be "given" a wrong core value. One situation where I see this happening is when a client or agency team member falls in love with a brand driver at the expense of the core value. The driver may fit temporarily or might seem like the coolest option at the moment, but when the brand is "speaking" one thing and the marketing messages communicate another, there's going to be a dissonance that consumers can feel.

I also really like that you said the Brand Whisperer's greatest role is keeping a brand true to itself. I totally agree. The brand is ultimately the one doing all the whispering. It's the Brand Whisperer's job to listen.