When we think of great companies, many of us tend to focus too much on the products they make. Or we look at the structure of the company and assume it’s a great company because of their processes. What most people miss, however, is that it is neither what the company produces nor how they do it that makes a company great. It is WHY they do it.
Focusing on “WHY”
When a company focuses on the WHY, the company culture becomes focused around a goal and a reason for doing what they do. At KPS Global, we put our values and our people first. We are proud of the products we offer and how we make our turnkey solutions possible. But mostly, we are proud that our employees and partners and customers know that they are the top priority at KPSG. We #BelieveInPeople, and that’s why we succeed.
A Concept Rooted in Biology
This concept of “Starting with Why” comes from author Simon Sinek, who points out that companies are great at explaining what they do and how they do it, but all too often fall short when it comes to explaining why they do it. The WHY, according to Sinek, is “the purpose, cause or belief that drives every one of us.” When your WHY is in place and is there to shape everything that you do as a company and as a culture, the “how” will shape itself to be a part of that mission.
It is the same for individuals as it is for large companies—this is because focusing on the WHY is purely biological. When we look at our individual actions, the rational part of our brain, known as the neocortex, drives what we are doing. But accomplishing more than going through the motions requires engaging with the part of our brain known as the limbic system. By doing so, we can discover the driving reason for why we want to do what we do, and therefore, find the best way to make it happen.
At KPSG, People Are Our Purpose
With over 850 people making up the KPSG family, it may sound odd to say that we focus on the WHY in order to find company-wide purpose. But it is precisely because we have such a large family that we have a purpose at all. For everyone at KPSG, the people we work with and interact with on a daily basis are our WHY.
This is especially true when we welcome new members to our company family. In 2018, KPSG acquired Custom Cooler Inc., a privately-owned manufacturer of custom walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers and industrial cold storage applications. Well-known for the quality of their manufacturing, Custom Cooler has certainly seen success in the industry. But what makes this new partnership so fitting is that, like KPSG, Custom Cooler puts their customers, personnel and partners at the forefront of their company focus, as evidenced by the experience of their employees and strong customer relationships. Custom Cooler Inc. shares KPSG’s belief that our company family can #DrivePositiveChange simply by focusing on WHY we do what we do.
As we move forward, we will continue to put our people first and we look forward to driving change in the cold storage industry.
