Why is Purpose Important?
Most organizations like to think of purpose as another word for Vision or Mission. Purpose is a healthy pride that is born through meaningful contribution and clarity of direction. While generic and vague mission statements fail to truly motivate and guide teams at every level, a clear purpose creates real meaning and impact that drives results.
Purpose statements are much more than mottos. They are used to initiate, evaluate and refine business strategies and activities. They not only become the beacon for strategic direction that plots a common course—they are the North star guiding the way forward in something far greater.
Activity | Large Group Brainstorm: “What is at Stake?”
Pro Tips:
• 5 minute exercise
• Practice using teams/Google Doc together, or capture group feedback on a flipchart if meeting in person.
Facilitation Questions:
- “What is at stake if you are unable to align on your collective team purpose?”
[May need a video clip of Laura explaining this] - “Conversely, what benefits might you realize if you are able to align on a compelling team purpose?”
Examples:
- “Our customers may lose trust in our brand.”
- “Our teammates may face burn out resulting in apathy and turnover.”
- “We may miss the prime season for product launch and miss our sales window.”
- “There may be layoffs.”
- “If we can turn this around and get great sales we might be able to hire more team members to reduce the burden.”