The Source of Solid Strategy

I’mma fangirl over Mayo Clinic for a minute. My sister has worked there for many years and even in private has only glowing things to say about the organization. One of the things I’ve grown to admire about Mayo is a two word phrase that seems to be everywhere: “Patients First.”

But it’s not the words themselves that make Mayo so remarkable – it’s that everyone in the organization knows it, believes it, and practices it (at least that’s what it looks like from out here).

The magic is the alchemy that happens when this culture of know/believe/practice meets the patients desire for their health to be the top priority. This is exactly what the patients want too. And they believe either through reputation or personal experience that that is exactly what they receive when they enter the doors on a Mayo Clinic campus. 

The Primary Value meets Patient Desire.

Let’s break down Mayo’s Primary Value for a minute….

“Patients First.”

It’s not the most original phrase. Any health organization could say the same thing, and even have a staff full of employees who know, believe, and practice it. And whether they are successful at it or not takes nothing away from Mayo Clinic or what it’s accomplishing.

The primary value for Mayo Clinic is not a pretty-sounding tagline thought up in a marketing meeting. It’s a simple truth that guides the culture, decisions, innovations, and day-to-day life within the organization.

I would bet dollars-to-donuts that decisions made at Mayo Clinic are not only consistently good decisions, but also made exponentially faster than an organization that doesn’t have complete buy-in from their team multiplied by the trust that their patients have in them that the patient's best interests guide their care.

How does this help your business?

Your Primary Value is the intersection between what you want your clients to experience and what your clients want to experience.

So don’t declare a Primary Value you don’t know the meaning of.

Don’t declare a Primary Value that you don’t believe in.

Don’t declare a Primary Value that you won’t act on at all times. 

And it certainly does not have to be profound or world-saving.

Let me give you an example:

Josie who runs a cafe knows that when the lunch rush starts, her customers are spending what little free time they have here at her cafe. Yes they are hungry, yes they may be frazzled or terse, but what they really want is to savor a little respite in their day and have something tasty to get their mind off work.

Her customers want to enjoy a quick break in their day. And Josie wants her customers to enjoy a quick break in their day. So maybe her Primary Value is: “Enjoy your lunch break.”

Empathizing with and serving customers becomes easier because you understand what they want. Decisions become easier because you have a lens through which to weigh your options. 

Here are a few other quick examples:

Do you run a social media agency? “Clients feel seen.”

Interior Designer? “Delighted every time they come home.” 

Fast Food Franchise: “Get fed fast.”

Dog Trainer: “Confident Dog Parents.”

Gas station: “Have a great trip.”

It doesn’t matter how unoriginal your primary value is. Don’t make this fancy. Don’t try to do or not do what your competitors are doing. Originality gets zero points in this exercise. All it will do is hold you back. We’re seeking truth here – a rallying cry that can refresh your spirit after a bad day. 

Once you get your Primary Value down pat, the strategies you design will be that much more effective.

I’m rooting for you!