The way we understand purpose has fundamentally shifted
The way we understand purpose has fundamentally shifted
Many companies have taken to communicating about their “purpose.” But what does it really mean? Glossy publications about ‘living our purpose’ risk coming across as disingenuous, based on the events of the past year. Company leaders need to be aligned with current sentiment, avoiding fluff and buzz words.
In 2021 you cannot talk about purpose without addressing the new context of the crises we have just come through, and those which await on the horizon. This is not to say that your company purpose must be related to the pandemic. But, in examining where you and your team derive your sense of purpose, you cannot ignore the existential threats – climate change, biodiversity loss, extreme inequities in access to health services and general quality of life, etc.
If your stated company purpose is divorced from the realities we have witnessed, or worse, if it inadvertently contrasts with our experience, it will be more harmful than helpful.
It is therefore more urgent now for leadership to be clear on where they derive their sense of purpose, and able to use it to inspire their teams to overcome challenges. Aligning personal and professional purpose can be highly motivating for leaders as well as staff.
Have you done this? Do you understand where your key staff derive their sense of purpose?
Too often, in our experience, this process is shortchanged. Those at the top avoid doing the hard work of clarifying purpose for themselves and spending time to facilitate and align this with their best people. Seeing this as a ‘nice to do’ but not essential means it will become sidelined and marginalised. Staff will not take it seriously and worse, may even become cynical or jaded.
GIFT helps you link purpose with the defining issues of our time. We have a process for mapping it across the personal, professional, community and societal spheres of life. Unique in the marketplace for ideas, we have seen this inspire, energise and transform teams.