On Purpose
Let's talk about purpose, why don't we? Tackle the big things first. I've been giving it a lot of thought in the past few years.
It's been an especially pressing question after I stopped being an employee. And even before that, my lack of purpose or lack of clarity must have triggered the need to (re)define my place in the world and pursue a path that could potentially be more fulfilling.
And even before that, working in Human Resources, I was pretty invested in the concept of purpose, from an organisational perspective. It came to this simple equation: Purpose = engagement = $. It sounds manipulative, but it doesn't have to be evil as well. I truly believed (still do) that if we helped employees to align with the company's mission, they would find meaning in their own work. A win-win situation really.
On top of that, being a millennial, I identified a lot with this "trend" that became a staple of our generation. But the many, many articles written on it made it look like this new species of humans started to infiltrate the office: the Millennials and their absurd need for meaning and purpose. Instead of being embraced as a natural, desirable evolution of our relationship with work, it looked like we were asking for too much. Like we were missing the work ethic and discipline to just grind through the day and get our motivation from the end of the year bonus.
Suffice it to say that I've been thinking about it from many angles: employee, organization, millennial, entrepreneur, and branding strategist. And I have to say, I have mixed feelings about it:
For the most part, it sounds like this vague overrated fluff, that no one can agree what it is, and what it's for
It seems to be reserved for the lucky few, like an exclusive group with a secret handshake.
But what bothers me most is that I feel
It has become commodified, forced, and unnatural. So now it mainly makes people roll their eyes
I think we can fix that. I still believe we should give it a chance, as an individual and also as a business/brand owner. As an individual, I personally felt a big difference once I landed on a direction that felt more "mine" than anything else. It's like walking around with your own source of energy, and that must count for something. And as a business, having a clear purpose will eventually translate into higher revenue, as long as that's not the goal in itself.
I was initially planning to offer a definite explanation of what purpose is. But I'll leave that to the many corporate article on the difference between purpose, mission, and vision and the point for each of these. And there are many, albeit a bit confusing and sometimes contradictory. Instead of adding to that debate, I think there's more value in taking things out and simplifying.
Purpose, mission, and vision are at the core of strategy, and for that, it may seem complex and hard to grasp. But it's actually about answering the most basic questions: Why? How? What? Who?
Simon Sinek advocates starting with WHY and working your way to HOW and eventually WHAT. A customer-centric approach would advocate starting with WHO. To understand your customers, their pains, gains, and deepest desires, and then figure out ho your company could respond to that, finding the WHY in the process. I don't think there's a right and wrong way to go about it, as long as we address them all.
So, in answering WHY is where we find our Purpose. The reason for being.
The start-up world overflows with big dreams and plans to change the world. Their founders embody the WHY. But what if you're not one of "those" founders and you just acted on an opportunity to make a living? If you're not clear on your WHY (beyond making money, that is). I recommend a deep soul search. The answer is somewhere in there. And if you need help, a branding strategy session will also help resurface your purpose.
Connecting to your core motivation will pay off, but not only in the way you're probably thinking of. Yes, it will help the bottom line. A Deloitte study from 2020 shows that purpose-driven companies witness higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors, all while achieving higher workforce and customer satisfaction.
It will also help you personally. Gaining clarity around WHY you do what you do, will get you through the days when things are just hard. It will eliminate much of the second-guessing and decision fatigue.
But you have to mean it. The days of Corporate Social Responsibility for PR credits are gone. You have to walk the talk and at times make difficult decisions that might impact your profits in the short term, but will definitely solidify the trust of your clients. This is the better, more sustainable approach. Long term, your company will still be around and will be loved by many.