Purpose

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

The clients I work with know I’m not a big fan of Mission and Vision Statements. Too often they’re just something a business feels they need to have because everyone else has one. Something is thrown together and the boxes for having both statements are checked off. I’ve even know companies whose Mission and Vision Statements were written for them by their accounting firm, consulting firm etc. However when walking around meeting people in said business rarely can I find anyone that can tell me what either of them are.

When working with companies I have a slide I put up with a Mission Statement on it. I’ve removed the company name and name of their product so as to not give it away. I then ask everyone if they can name the company. Companies such as Amazon, GE etc. are thrown out. The next slide reveals the company’s name – Dunder Mifflin. Point made.

What do I recommend instead? A Purpose Statement. The reason for the existence of the business in the first place. The reason you get out of bed in the morning raring to go. The reason you keep pushing forward even during the toughest times. The reason others want to be a part of what you’re creating. Getting this right takes time and some deep soul searching.

An exercise I have my clients do is to come up with their initial thoughts on the purpose of the organization. Below that they have to write down why that’s important. On the next line they have to write down why the line above is important. They have to iterate on the “Why’s that important?” question at least 7 times. Typically the first 3 or 4 whys come quickly. The last two or three iterations are more difficult. They often come to you at the least expected times. While working out or lying in bed at night for example. Getting to the final why is often an emotional experience. Really knowing why you’re doing something is the key to building something exceptional.

Most organizations are highly event driven. Each day begins with the first event that occurs, followed by the next and the next random events. This is often where I hear people say, “We spend most of our day fighting fires.” How energizing and inspiring is that? Feeling like a hamster on a wheel is not a lot of fun. Burnout often occurs when people become disillusioned with a job from which they derive much of their identity and meaning. Without a Purpose they believe in, the job becomes, well, a job.

If you’re goal is to create a great company or organization I’d argue your top priority needs to be defining your purpose. What’s the difference between being event-driven and purpose-driven? After all, the world you’re working in is the same no matter which one you choose. The primary difference is the way you filter those events. In an event-driven organization you sort them somewhat randomly. Which one is the largest threat at the moment? Which one is easier to work on and so on. In a purpose-driven organization the agenda precedes events. Events are framed in a more meaningful context.

You begin to measure things by what you’re accomplishing that moves you towards your purpose. You interpret events in terms of their bearing on outcomes you have chosen, not in terms of those events themselves. You filter things that show up on your agenda differently. The people in your business are more energized because their work has meaning. They know “why” they’re doing what they’re doing and how it helps move the company in the direction you want. You’re business begins to attract better people because they want to be part of something with a purpose and not just a job.

If you’ve been a reader of these articles in the past, you’ve heard me quote Lee Thayer many times. With regard to being purpose-driven instead of event-driven he said; “Preparing yourself, and then others, to get on the path of real achievement is being purpose-driven. Mere activities diminish everyone to a life of being event-driven.”

That pretty well sums it up. A person who is event-driven may be a good or even excellent manager. However until they see the value in defining a Purpose for why they’re doing what they’re doing they will never become a leader.