I’m in a social entrepreneurship training. It’s a pretty incredible experience, only three other people and the teacher.
The Elevator Pitch
Today we had to do an Elevator Pitch. They seem really simple. Imagine you’re standing on an elevator and someone you don’t know asks what you do. You just say who you are, what your job is, who you’re serving, how you’re serving and why you do what you do. The catch is that you have to it all in less than two minutes.
It’s amazing how much the time pressure changes the explanations.
We generally know our names. Check.
We know where we work. Check.
But when we need to say what we really do in a succinct, non-jargon way, we hit a wall. What do I do at work all day really? What do I do that really brings value to people? What is the thing that I do that I actually want to talk about?
Finding your WHY
We started the elevator pitches again and again as people tried to explain why they did what they did, or how what they do is important to the organization as a whole, or why they are doing this and not that. People started with histories of the country, trying to explain the economic situation of the region, or going back to the very attributes of God. These are people planning on being trapped in an elevator for hours apparently.
The beauty of the interaction was in the final statement of why they do what they do. Their personal story. Emotion started to bubble up. I help teenagers in dysfunctional families because I was in a dysfunctional family situation, and someone helped me. I help impoverished children get scholarship because I love these kids.
Their why is challenging. No “because I want to get paid” no “because I needed to work somewhere” – broken hearts and hope for hurting kids. Lots of desire to start social impact businesses because they work in communities that need to be impacted for good.
Why do you do what you do? If your work is tied to your passion, to help those around you, you’ll find motivation that you never knew you had. If you’re curious about watching a similar concept at work, look at Adam Leipzig’s TED talk here.
Develop Your Own Elevator Pitch
The sad part is realizing that so many people will spend their 90,000 hours of work without really landing on a why. Maybe they don’t think about it, maybe they haven’t been put into the Elevator Pitch pressure tank that forces you to say silly things again and again until you say something that resonates with your heart. It also makes me realize that I’m incredibly fortunate to get to wrestle with that question, to try to find a pathway that aligns with my personality, aptitude and experience. That I get to help people figure out their why as I’m figuring out my own, and I get to help them flourish in their work as I am stretched and grow in my own work.
All that from two minutes. Imagine what an hour might yield. It’s a great idea for a conversation though – have your best friend tell you who they are, what they do, who do they do it for, and why they do it. It will probably take you a couple of tries before you get something that is really impactful. No long explanations. No jargony terms to impress people you don’t like. Simple and to the point. Be honest. And if you don’t love the honest answer, ask yourself if it’s time for a change.