Raison d'être

A raison d'être is an inspiring motivation that explains why we do what we do and how we do it.

How raison d'être translates into business

In an organization guided by a raison d'être, this notion can be found at different levels:

• The organization: the big WHY behind its very existence.
• Teams or circles: why these collective tasks need to be accomplished.
• Roles: why each individual role is necessary.
• The individual: The people who invest energy in these roles, with their own dreams, ambitions and personal goals.

The raison d'être in a self-organizing organization

In a self-organizing organization, purpose guides the actions of a role, even in the absence of other explicit elements such as defined responsibilities, policies, strategies, priorities or resources.

A guide to organization

As Simon Sinek explains in his popular book Start with WHY, an organization with a clear raison d'être becomes more adaptive and antifragile. Its raison d'être acts as a compass to help it overcome unforeseen obstacles or evolve in the face of change, just as the North Star guides a lost traveler.

To find out more, take a look at Simon Sinek's video, which explains this concept in detail.