Purpose is essential for us all, especially to succeed in business.
Whilst enjoying a relaxing 14 day tour of the North Island of New Zealand my mind wandered to ponder “Why am I here?” This led me to reaffirm what I have always known: Everyone needs a Purpose on a personal level. I will leave the ‘big life question’ of Purpose for you to pursue in your own spiritual manner, but I do encourage you to do so. It is the business aspect of purpose that I will explore here.
Life doesn’t stop for the hours people are ‘on the job’. The need for a purpose extends to everyone needing a purpose for “Why am I here working for this organisation?” To be fulfilled and productive in their work, it is essential that people have a purpose in their daily vocation.
When I was at Cisco Systems, back around the turn of the millennium, I spent my time travelling Asia Pacific delivering presentations to many hundreds of people in large auditoriums on how the Internet was going to change the world and how Cisco was determined to underpin the Internet to “Change the way we work, live, play and learn”. It was a bold cause that galvanized Cisco’s people around the globe toward a single purpose. We all knew that massive change was inevitable due to the Internet and that we were collectively part of assisting mankind to better itself with new, yet to be determined, ways that would evolve once the Internet became ubiquitous. At a personal level, this commitment to the cause transcended ‘going to work’ and became part of my personal mission. Even though we were each only a small part, we were collectively ‘changing the world’ for the better. Fast forward to 2018 and the predictions were more than accurate. The Internet has definitely changed the way we “Work, live, play and learn” and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
I hear you asking: “Big deal, so how does this apply to me?” The need for a purpose transcends organisation size or what the organisation does. Even at a micro “sole operator” business, there must be a real purpose for that business to be successful.
Without purpose, personal motivation is lost and eventually the business will fail. Think of a business as a wheel barrow or racing scull (row boat). If the person/people that are required to keep them going lose interest, the barrow or boat is a useless piece of apparatus that sits still. A motivated person with a wheel barrow can move mountains and a highly motivate rowing team can win Olympic gold medals.
So where does the business purpose come from? LEADERSHIP. The organisation was started to achieve something. It is leadership’s responsibility to ensure that the Purpose of the organisation is defined and clearly, constantly communicated to everyone in the organisation; even if that is the person in the mirror if you are a ‘sole operator’ business.
At Cisco, we weren’t just selling communication boxes, software and services, we were fundamentally enabling a new era where the Internet would “change the way we work, live, play and learn”. If you are a butcher, you are not ‘selling meat’, you are enabling your customers to be delighted with their meals whilst enjoying good company and gaining much needed iron. If you are an accounting firm, you are not completing tax returns, you are enabling your clients to focus on their business free from the burden of dealing with their compliance obligations. If you are a dentist, you are not doing fillings, you are enabling your clients to feel proud of their smile and stay healthy too. I could go on but I am sure you get the point.
In taking over management of companies to turn around their performance, I have found that where there is poor performance, a major part of the problem is that there is a lack of purpose with the people. They have either lost faith in the company, or worse, they have never been made aware of what the purpose of the company is. When you ask your people, no matter what they do, “Why do you work here?”, if the answer is “It’s a job!” your organisation has a major problem. In the majority of cases, the problem is not the individual or the team. The problem is a lack of leadership.
Purpose must be defined by the head of the organisation and regularly communicated to all leaders in that organisation. In turn, these leaders must continually communicate the purpose with their teams and ensure that everyone ‘lives the purpose’ and it becomes a foundation stone of the culture.
No matter if your organisation is achieving great results or struggling, ask yourself “Why am I here?” If you are a leader, identify the purpose and ensure that your team know what the purpose is, then assist them to go about ensuring they are working to achieve it. If you are a team member, consider what your purpose is in the organisation and seek to identify what the company purpose is. Talk to your leader and make sure you are clear on the purpose of the organisation and what part you play in achieving it. If you find that the organisation purpose is not aligned with your personal purpose and values, you need to reassess if you are in the right job or with the right company. Remember, your life doesn’t stop when you arrive at work – your vocation is an essential part of your life.
In the words of Thomas A. Edison:
Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.
Please contact LSE Consulting to find out how we can assist you to explore how you can ensure that your people see a purpose in being part of your organisation or any other strategic business issues.
Philip Belcher, LSE Consulting ©
