4 rules for creating a meaningful purpose
Everyone can agree that having a purpose is a good thing. But what constitutes a powerful purpose? What can it really do for an organization? And how do you go about clarifying one?
Those are questions that I still get asked. Answering them could fill a book. Well, actually, they do fill a book. And while I recommend reading said book, I thought I would share four rules that I keep coming back to every time I work with an organization to embrace its purpose. I hope you find them useful as you work to clarify a purpose for yourself or your organization.
1. Identify what it is that you are passionate about
When I set out to help organizations embrace a purpose, one of the key questions I ask is, "What are you passionate about?" I find that this question makes a fair amount of leadership team members uncomfortable at first. And rightly so. If you're being honest and you do feel deeply about it, revealing your passion can leave you feeling a little exposed. So when we begin, it's not unusual for leadership team members to bluster on about how they are passionate about improving profits in their division. That's not a purpose. It's an outcome of the company's purpose. But it's not the purpose itself. The purpose is something that ignites the room. It's something that people feel. Deeply. It goes beyond doing your job to doing some good in the world.
To identify the purpose, companies and organizations need to get beyond the posturing. They need to look into their past for clues. They need to look at why they do what they do today. And they need to look at their plans for the future and ask what is at the heart of what's driving the organization. With every organization I have worked with, a thread emerged that helped us identify the foundation for the organization's passion. With this identified, we could have honest conversations about the organization's purpose.
If you truly know your passion, it will lead you to your purpose.
2. Make it about those you hope to serve
Your purpose is not about you. That sounds a bit odd, right? After all, it is your purpose.
Purpose is the difference you make in a life, a community, or even the world. It is focused on those you hope to serve. That is what makes is unrivaled in its ability to inspire and motivate. When done right, it can move people. Large groups of people. It can be the catalyst for a movement.
But it's difficult to articulate a powerful purpose. Because it’s difficult to not talk about ourselves. A lot of purpose statements are littered with 'we'.
We believe…
We are on a mission…
We are dedicated to…
I know these organizations that write these statements have good intentions. But when it comes to articulating this potentially game-changing idea, it's too easy to slide back into defining it by what it means to us. When the real power lies in defining it by what it means to those we hope to serve.
As you clarify your purpose, try eliminating the 'we' (it's difficult). Focus on others. And how the purpose will make a difference for them.
3. Make it genuine
You can't pick a purpose that you think will be popular or one that feels timely. A purpose is not something you invent. It is something you clarify (see rule #1). It grows out of who you are.
Choosing a big, bold purpose may feel gratifying at first. But if it does not align with the core of who you are, it won't connect.
The most powerful thing you can do is to admit to yourself what you're best at. And align it with what you are truly passionate about. The result may not be something that is world-changing. But that's okay. You may discover your purpose makes a difference in one life at a time. The world needs that.
Just be honest, true, and genuine to who you are and your purpose will help you do amazing things.
4. Make it timeless
There is a great post in the Harvard Business Review about creating a meaningful purpose. In the post, the author uses Disney as an example:
"Think about how your company can continue to meet customers’ needs even as technologies and markets evolve. Disney, for example, strives 'to entertain, inform, and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling.' This is far more inspiring and ambitious than, say, making animated movies and amusement parks."
Your purpose is larger than what you do. It is the difference you can make.