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Having a Purpose
Written by: Paul BridleArticle Overview: As children we are always asking the question ‘why?’ This often results in the majority of adults becoming frustrated with our incessant questioning. Through this we learn to tone down our questions as we get older. This, however, does not mean that we are not curious and do not want to know. In our workplace, or anywhere we are asked to make a commitment and strive to achieve something, the question looming in our mind is why? Why are we doing this? What is the point? What will we achieve as a result of doing this?
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Free Download - An Accountant or a Leader - but rarely both By Paul Bridle |
Having a Purpose
If
there is no purpose, then we are left with a feeling that the quality of the
work, the effort we are required to put into it and the outcomes are of no real
importance. So our motivation,
drive and enthusiasm become limited.
The
dictionary defines the word ‘purpose’ as follows:
a noun. The reason for which something is done
or created or for which something exists.
The
Purpose defines the reason for existence or the required outcome.
On
a personal level the purpose achieves a number of things but, at its core, it
gives us the basis from which we justify our effort, spark our imagination and
build our enthusiasm.
The
dictionary goes on to define the word purpose by saying;
A person's sense of resolve or determination.
It
is necessary to give people something on which they can focus, a reason why
they are doing what they are doing, or, simply what is trying to be achieved.
This can be applied to everything that we do as it is important that people
understand what it is that they are working towards.
The
old story of the President of the United States asking the gardener what his
job was. This is an example of
this Purpose. The gardener replies “I am part of putting a man on the moon”.
This is an instance of someone who justifies, in their mind, the reason for
doing their job, sparks their imagination and creates the enthusiasm or
motivation to do an excellent job each and everyday.
Built
around the need to have a clear purpose or understanding which, in turn,
justifies why they should make an effort, is everything else required to
empower people. In empowering them, they become motivated and take
responsibility for their role, thus doing it to the best of their ability.
Defining the purpose
The
clarity of the purpose leads to the creation of empowerment in such a way that
enables others to take responsibility and ownership of their role. It is
important that the person feels a sense of ownership in order to justify their
effort, spark their imagination, and build enthusiasm. Ownership is defined as
“that which belongs to oneself.” The Purpose helps to create a sense of
belonging; the person belongs to, or is part of, something and that ‘something’
belongs to them through their part in it.
The
key to defining the purpose is to keep it short, meaningful and something that
everybody at every level in, and out, of the organisation can understand and
relate to. From this purpose the organisation will define its strategy and set
its objectives.
We
need to be careful not to fall into the trap of defining the purpose as “to
make money”. Obviously an
organisation needs to make money in order to survive and that should be taken
as a given. If we focus on the
making of money without regard for the method which is used to make that money,
then we create a purpose which can result in actions and behaviours that are
out of line with the business that we are in.
Some
examples of this can be seen in the Purposes of a building company: ‘To make
affordable houses accessible’; or for an association for people with
disabilities: ‘To help people with disabilities live an independent life’. The ‘Purposes’ for Wal-Mart, Girl
Scouts and Walt Disney are ‘To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same
things as rich people’; ‘To help a girl reach her highest potential’; and ‘To
make people happy’, respectively.
The Mission Statement
Is
important to note that we have not used the words mission or vision statement.
The reason for this is that most mission statements do not fulfil all of the
requirements of what we are calling the purpose. We are not arguing the merits or the problems of having, or
not having, a mission statement.
For many organisations a mission statement has some meaning and where
this is the case, it is obviously of value.
However,
many mission statements do not clearly define the purpose and often are so
wordy that people within the organisation neither understand or are capable of
relating the Mission statement to their role.
The
purpose should be short, simple and, most importantly, understood at every
level in the organisation. In
other words the person at the most junior level not only understands the
purpose but is very clear as to how they contribute to it. Without this, everything else we do to
create an empowering structure can be meaningless because everything within
such a structure is linked back and contributes to the purpose.
A
mission and a vision will undoubtedly come out of the purpose. Once we
understand why we are here or why we are doing this, then we can talk about
where we are going and what it will look like when we get there.
Motivating people
The
concept that we can somehow motivate people is slightly arrogant and, at best,
it presupposes that we understand their individual desires better than they do.
What
one person finds motivating is not necessarily the same with others. As leaders, our role is not to motivate
as much as help people discover their own motivation. It is in this light that we can see the difference between
most mission statements and what we are referring to here as a purpose.
Often
mission statements endeavour to motivate people and outline what is
important. The purpose is meant to
give people something by which they can find inspiration and develop their own
motivation.
When
a purpose provides clarity or focus, allowing the individual to then develop
motivation within them, an individual can then start to shape their role and
seek ways to refine it and improve on it.
When the individual needs to have their contribution explained in
relation to the purpose, then they do not own it but rather approach it as a
chore or something they have to do because they have no other choice. It is in these circumstances that
motivation becomes very hard to sustain as the ownership is not present.
The philosophical why?
The
purpose will provide the answer as to why we are here or what we are trying to
achieve? So for example, a nursing
home may have as its purpose to “care for people mentally, physically and
spiritually”. This is a very
simple purpose which people can relate to and understand how they contribute to
it.
The
same nursing home may have a philosophical belief about the care for elderly
people to society. For example, a
nursing home may believe that people should be allowed to live out their life
in a dignified manner. This belief
is not a purpose but will relate to the purpose.
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Related Forum Posts
Re: Success
- I study success intently, and would like to share:
Here's two excellent and nearly identical success-formulas from a couple of the world's masters.
FIRST FORMULA:
1. Passionate Desire
2. Clear, Definite Purpose
3. Committed Decision
4. Take Action In Faith
(Bonus Secret Sauce: 5. Repeat Consistently)
I made a video about this, but am not allowed to link it yet. Google "Ryze Success Steps" for it.
Oh, and this is Napoleon Hill's (Master Of Success Laws)'s Formula.
SECOND FORMULA:
1. Passionate Desire
2. Understand It Is Already Done (Faith)
3. Relax & Allow It To Unfold (Go about your life calmly)
This one is courtesy of Abraham-Hicks (inspiration for the movie The Secret).
Hope that helps!
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