I recently
had a discussion with a business owner who challenged the necessity of
identifying organizational purpose. From their perspective it was simple; to
make money to survive. Business was a necessity to survive life, a means to the
end and nothing more.
Making money
is a result of doing good business. Purpose is why we are doing business. Organizational purpose is more than a
goal that is completed and forgotten. It permeates and defines why we do, how
we do, and what we do. When our focus – our purpose – is clear, the
organization is aligned, engaged, and can thrive.
Science is
increasingly validating what people have known about our individual selves:
that purpose is a foundational core. Purpose dramatically affects our longevity
and well-being, and it creates drive and passion. We change, our priorities and
values shift; confidence grows, dissolves into doubt, returns; relationships
evolve, form and reform; we have life milestones and events – all forming the
complexity of life. Our individual
purpose is not discovered once and then we are done with it. It is reexamined
and discovered at various points throughout life.
Organizational
purpose is no different. The business changes, shifts, grows, and adapts; forming
the complexity of business. Organizational purpose is the ability to have
perspective, awareness, and be conscious of the opportunities and challenges
and should be reexamined and evaluated at various points as well.
In a 2014
New York Times article title “Why You Hate Work”, they state, “In a 2012
meta-analysis of 263 research studies across 192 companies, Gallup found that
companies in the top quartile for engaged employees, compared with the bottom
quartile, had 22percent higher profitability, 10 percent higher customer
ratings, 28 percent less theft and 48 percent fewer safety incidents”.
The same
article, quotes a study by the Harvard Business Review and The
Energy Project polled more than 12,000 white collar employees and found that employees
that derive a sense of purpose are: 1.7 times higher to feel job satisfaction
and 1.4 times more engaged at work.
In its
Insights Study from April 2014 of 160,000 US employees, Limeade, discovered feeling a sense of
purpose at work ranked as the No. 2 factor driving employee
engagement.
When vision
or purpose is clear, and resources are aligned, employees are more engaged and
productive – typically outperforming the market by triple digits, and therefore
positively impacting the bottom line.
Consider how your business may answer the following
questions:
Do you feel
that your system and resources properly aligned to achieve the full potential
of results?
Are you and
your team aiming to raise the bar to improve productivity and performance,
enhance your customer experience, and reduce expenses?
The
organization is in the midst of a transition (market or environment changing,
the business has plateaued, managing growth). How does the organization find
the right direction?
The
organization is successful. How do we capture our success and adapt to the ever
changing environment for sustained growth?
Organizational Assessments can be can be a key first step in
articulating a clear purpose. Organizational Assessments are part of the discovery
phase work to better understand what is working well and where to focus
improvement efforts. They help identify items to create action plans to improve
outcomes and drive tangible organizational results.
For a FREE Discovery Start-Up Assessment or for more
information, email us at info@achieve-purpose.com
and check information on our website.
