What Everyone Brings to the Potluck

When your Narrative starts with your product, everything is about what you can do for others.  It’s like a full-service restaurant: just show up, enjoy the meal and pay the bill.

But when your Narrative starts with your Shared Purpose, things need to be more reciprocal and multi-dimensional. Everyone has something to contribute. It’s more like a potluck in which everyone brings a different dish. A potluck doesn’t work if everyone brings the same dish, or if some people don’t bring anything at all.

A key part of the Narrative therefore describes everyone’s Contribution to your Shared Purpose—like the potluck for your purpose.

Nike

Everyone knows the Nike slogan: “Just Do It.” What makes this slogan so powerful is that in three words it captures three different elements: Shared Purpose, Path to Purpose and Contribution.

Nike’s Shared Purpose is: “Inspiring the athlete in all of us.”

The Path to Purpose is: “If you have a body, you are an athlete.”  

The potluck is the idea that:

• Nike can provide the shoes, apparel and equipment.
• Nike’s athletes can provide the inspiration.
• Your friends can provide the support.  
• But you have to get off the couch, lace up your shoes and “just do it.”  

Everyone contributes something.