Have you considered how authentic you are? What about your business? Not how successful or large or profitable your business is but how authentic it is. Authenticity is a defining issue for businesses in the 21st century. The companies that have rendered authenticity in their business environments are the ones that will meet sustainable success in the future. And authentic businesses stem from authentic people.
Authenticity refers to being credible, sincere, genuine, trustworthy and real. It is a phrase we hear frequently during the current presidential campaign. Candidates are being evaluated by how “real” they come across – their level of authenticity.
In the past 30 years I have researched issues of authenticity. What I have learned is that there are three basic components of authenticity. I have defined these as Inner Voice, Outer Voice and Expressive Voice.
Authenticity stems from the Inner Voice – the degree to which an individual listens to and follows the voice that speaks within. Authenticity is strengthened through the Outer Voice – how you are perceived by other people. And it is enhanced through the Expressive Voice – how you live your life on a day to day basis.
After developing the test and delving deeper into issues of authenticity I began to examine how authenticity could be applied to business. What I have come up is the three components of authentic businesses. A business that is authentic has a guiding Inner Voice – employees who share a common vision and as a result enjoy working there. Authentic businesses have a strong Outer Voice – customers who embrace the vision and are loyal to the company. Authentic businesses have a representative Expressive Voice – products and services that live up to the vision and meet the needs of the customers. And when businesses create an alignment between employees, customers and products/services they become even more authentic.
Authentic businesses create opportunities for customers and employees to “feel” and “experience” the company. An example of an authentic business is Starbucks where you don’t just buy a cup of coffee. At Starbucks you get the “experience” of coffee – networking with other people, working on your laptop, playing chess, listening to speakers and other ways that people engage and interact when drinking coffee.
How authentic is your business? Do your customers receive an experience when they interact with you? Are your employees, customers and products/services aligned? Are you authentic yourself and a role model for authenticity within your business? Whatever your level of authenticity and that of your business, it can be enhanced. Sustainable businesses implement authenticity and thrive. Will yours be one of them?
Norma T. Hollis is an authenticity expert who has created the Authenticity Assessment for individuals and organizations. Her book “Ten Steps to Authenticity” expands on the assessment and provides guidelines for creating rewarding and satisfying experiences. She is a dynamic coach, trainer and inspirational speaker who moves audiences to find, live and share their authentic voice.
From Around the Web:
Dante Lee Blog: Black Sales Professionals To Meet In Atlanta – The keynote speaker will be NFL champion Emmett Smith, and other speakers will include Ephren Taylor, the youngest African-American CEO of any publicly traded company; Norma Hollis, motivational speaker and entrepreneur; Omar Tyree, …
What Speakers Speak About | Virtually This and That! – What Speakers Speak About By Norma Hollis I have to admit that I always wanted to be a professional speaker. I remember when I graduated from college, a.
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