Step 1: Create a Meaningful Foundation

The foundation for creating a team purpose statement continues with the team exploring three critical questions . . .

  • What was your most meaningful job?
  • What was it about that job that made it so meaningful?
  • How did it make you feel?

It can be the role you are in now . . . 

OR . . .  when you were coaching a soccer team, or serving ice cream, or being a parent . . . 

What makes a job meaningful?

Common responses may include:

  • Caring and connecting
  • Helping
  • Giving back
  • Seeing others grow
  • Shifting how others think
  • Sharing expertise
  • Saving lives
  • Developing and nourishing others
  • Making a difference
  • Teaching and helping others grow
  • Mentoring
Purpose partner pointing saying "all of these have a common theme"

The core of creating a team purpose statement is all about influencing and impacting others positively. This process is meant to connect to the most meaningful, heart-filling roles we have had. 

Do purpose partners high-fiving each other

These insights connect the team more deeply to the work that matters most and will be an essential bridge to the team’s purpose statement. 

It is not about individual achievement or process improvement for the sake of improvement. It’s about the WHO the work is impacting and  influencing is what matters.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A small and persistent percent will focus on their own individual achievements. That is OK for the purposes of this exercise if some of the team members share their own achievements. However the critical focus is about influencing and impacting others.

Step 1 Activity | Individual Reflection

Instructions:
• This exercise is done on an individual level. You can spend 5-10 minutes for each person to think about this individually, or this can be a “reflection”homework” assignment to bring to the group at the next meeting.
• Each individual in the group will reflect on the questions below and write down their own answers to share with the group later.
• Create an online document titled “Draft Team Purpose Statement” that will be shared with everyone to collect answers from these in the next activity.

Duration: 5-10 minutes (or as homework prior to meeting)

Facilitation Questions:

Question 1:
What was your most meaningful job? What made it meaningful?

Question 2:
What will make you proud of your team two years from now? What is the work that only this group can do? Format this question as, “I will feel proud of our team 2 years from now when…“