Many will tell you that clarity of purpose is all important.
Your purpose is what you are here to do
If you are clear about your purpose then you can structure your:
- organisation
- measures
- policies
- structures
- processes
- training
- and kitchen sink
to help you achieve that purpose.
If you are clear about your purpose then you can get your ducks in a row, but if you aren’t…
Then you can’t.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go” said the Cat.
“So long as I get somewhere” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough”
But clarity of purpose isn’t nearly enough
Different people have very different purposes:
Many are here to do something for themselves
- Their purpose is to create a centre of excellence
- Their purpose is to become the preeminent consumer bank
- Their purpose is to become a multimillionaire
A few are here to do something for others:
- Their purpose is to “eliminate needless blindness”
- Their purpose is to “organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible”
- Their purpose is to “collect and develop educational content and to disseminate globally”
Not all purposes are created equal
If your purpose is to help others, then the others will welcome you in, they will help you achieve your purpose.
If your purpose is to help yourself, then the others will think you are a selfish fool.
They might be right.
You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want. ~ Zig Ziglar
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James,
I think you’re onto something. People (customers and employees) want to be aligned with an organization with a greater purpose, not a self-serving one.
Love the cat picture, btw.
Annette :-)
James,
I’ve been a fan of that quote from Zig Ziglar (best name ever btw) ever since I read it a number of years ago and it’s an admirable sentiment and a path that I try to follow.
However, some people don’t care about others and only care about themselves.
So, maybe firms should focus on working with people and serving people that share their purpose. Maybe that’s the trick……..getting clear on what your purpose is and then finding your people.
Adrian
Maybe to quote the film “if you build it they will come”
Hello James,
I throughly recommend reading Strategy And The Fat Smoker (David Maister). You touch on a subject that that author explores-talks about in considerable detail. Incidentally, I say that this book is one of the great books on strategy, on organisational effectiveness, on how people show up in organisations. The other great book is The Halo Effect.
All the best
Maz