Step 3: Landing Your Team’s Purpose Statement

Now that your small groups have created draft statements in Step 2, it’s time to share them with the larger group and land your Team’s Purpose Statement.

Activity | Large Group Discussion

Instructions: The larger group will listen to the smaller groups’ draft team purpose statements and work together to create one team purpose statement for the whole group.

Duration: 20 minutes

Pro Tips:
If the team is unable to come to a consensus of their draft team purpose statement within the allotted time, instruct the group to select two volunteers to continue to develop and refine the statement “offline” and to be ready to share back with the team two days before the next scheduled program session.

Step 1. Trios share draft purpose statements
Instruct the large group to allow a designated member from each TRIO to read their Draft Team Purpose Statement aloud, while the rest of the group listens. 

Step 2. Identify themes
Next, open the discussion to the whole group to identify the fewest, most essential aspects (words, images, what it evokes in you, etc.) that they like about the statement and why (as well as the aspects that do not resonate and why). 

Highlight/underline these aspects in the cloud-based document, “Master Team Purpose Statement Draft.”

Step 3. Repeat this process for each TRIO.

Facilitation Questions

Step 4. Once all TRIOs have presented their statements, guide the group to consider the following:

  • What themes are we seeing across all TRIO statements?
  • What differences may we honor?

Step 5. Facilitate a discussion that will help the group work together to craft a draft team purpose statement that integrates the fewest most essential aspects that effectively finish the statement:

We will feel proud of this team 2 years from now when…”

  • Consider aspects that may need to be added, omitted, or rephrased.

Step 6. Paste the Integrated Draft Team Purpose Statement into the Master Team Template Google Doc.

Purpose partners building a wall out of bricks together

Step back and notice what just occurred . . . 

Did one group just nail it and share a purpose statement that everyone loved? Are there two statements that the group loves that you can combine in some way? Is there no one statement but certain keywords that most of the statements include? 

Start there to build a base . . .

Take a pulse of everyone’s “digging it” level. If team members are at least with excitement, pride, and energy you’ve got it for now!

If you are sensing fatigue or frustration, now is a time to pause. Identify 1–3 people who have energy and give them a shot at drafting one statement. 

It’s painful and energy–draining to try and draft a statement with a group.

Three purpose partners holding numbers to indicate their moods

Pro Tip: Ask the individuals who are not “feeling it” and rate the current statement as a 5 or below, “What would have to change about the statement to increase the score?” Then deeply listen, and revise as necessary. 


Congrats! You now have a statement that reflects the dialogue and what you can agree on. The team’s dialogue reflects all the nuances that no one statement ever will.

Your Team Purpose Statement does not have to be perfect.

This process is more about the dialogue that goes into creating the Purpose Statement and what it represents rather than the actual words of the statement.


Even if you don’t all agree, you still have enough important alignment to continue. Put aside the statement to move to the next important step . . .  but pause to celebrate!

This is a big deal. You now have a sentiment, a statement that creates impact and meaning. It is a beacon for your future.