"Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." – Adlous Huxley
The Gospel of Luke shares an insightful story about ten lepers who besieged Jesus Christ to heal them as he entered a village. Leprosy is a loathsome disease that causes disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage, and infected individuals were required to agonize together in leper colonies. After healing them, only one of the ten returned to express profound thanks, and Christ asked: “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17: 17)
On this day of thanksgiving I want to share some thoughts on not only the important principle of gratitude, but also how ingratitude may be one of the root causes of some of our problems. The nine lepers who did not express gratitude for being healed were also infected with an attitude of ingratitude. They enjoyed the blessings of being healed, but lacked the capacity to express thanks to the healer.
We can find many visible examples in our community of people who are also infected with ingratitude as you observe graffiti painted on public buildings, rising crime rates, and social injustices inflicted on those considered “lesser” in society. Such acts of ingratitude are self-centered and exhibit an unhealthy pride that allows these individuals to treat things and people with contempt.
An ubiquitous example of ingratitude can be seen at our littered beaches and public areas. This eyesore demonstrates to our visitors a lack of appreciation for the beauty of the islands by the people who live here. Unless there was a beach cleanup a few days before, you can go to practically any public area after a weekend of partying and find trash strewn around by those who have a lack of gratitude for the remarkable beauty they take for granted.
Gordon Hinckley stated, “Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief.”
A cure for the disease of ingratitude is to express thanks for the many blessings we enjoy. Even in the difficult times we are experiencing, there are many ways to express gratitude. In fact, the more we express our appreciation and thanks for our blessings, the more we are aware of how much we are blessed.
Bonnie Parkin shares with us that gratitude opens our mind to a universe permeated with richness, and we can become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction, and inspires happiness. Basically, if you want to be happier, become more grateful.
We should even be thankful for the challenges we face in life because each challenge can make us stronger and help us learn a valuable lesson. One family was going through a difficult time and they decided to express gratitude for each other and the many blessing they shared. A close friend pointed out that the family’s “blessing basket” was overflowing.
From that conversation developed a game where each person would talk about how their day had gone and then share all of the many blessings that had been added to their “blessing basket.” The more gratitude that was expressed, the more grateful they became. Like the one leper that returned to give thanks, this family felt the love of the Lord in a significant way as more opportunities for growth became apparent.
Think about all the things you have to be thankful for in your life. By expressing your gratitude, it makes you consciously aware of, and focus on all the good things that are happening in your life on a daily basis. Changing the way you look at things, changes the things you look at. The miracle of expressing gratitude is that it can heal relationships, build stronger families, and set up a pattern for personal happiness. Share your gratitude with others and you’ll find that your “blessing basket” will overflow with bounteous blessings. Happy Thanksgiving.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." – John F. Kennedy
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Step Up
“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Many have wondered why my sweet wife’s face and name have not been attached to the articles written in the past few months. Since the names of the final two candidates for the president of the College have been made public, I feel I can now share the reason.
I considered applying for the position several months ago and I decided to write some articles that applied to the College. We felt that it would be best that the public understand that the articles expressed my personal views. Janel still provides input and suggestions, but I am ultimately responsible for what is said.
As the College was hit with multiple challenges prior to the position announcement, I did a careful analysis of the situation and even used a formal decision matrix to evaluate the alternatives. Basically, the choice boiled down to developing an Internet-based business that has the potential to be very lucrative and once set up would only require a few hours per week which would allow me to spend time with my young family and continue teaching – which I love to do.
The other option was to do something that will be extremely challenging, is very stressful, has an uncertain outcome, will require a huge sacrifice of my family as I give 100 percent to turn things around at the College, but it could be very fulfilling to collectively work with extraordinary people in the CNMI to fully realize the mission of the College and provide a better life for the students and community that I love.
It basically boiled down to either preparing a life raft for my family and me to safely float away if things get too bad here, or staying with the ship through thick or thin and use my management experience to get everyone to work together to not only steer the College to safety, but position it for sustainable growth. From a purely objective and analytical perspective the first choice garnered a lot more points on my decision matrix; however, I could tell that Janel was not convinced, and down deep I knew what was the right thing for me to do. So four days before the deadline I emailed some friends to provide letters of recommendation and to be references, put my packet together and submitted it.
I mention this because I believe there are many people in the community who are deeply concerned about our current situation in the Commonwealth and have started to not only become more vocal, but are taking steps to make a difference. They are doing this not for personal gain or ambition, but because they care about what’s happening and believe that there are viable solutions other than just waiting to hit rock bottom.
It will take individuals who are willing to step up to the challenges we are facing if we are to make it through these trying times successfully. Who are they? It should be our elected leaders and people hired in positions of responsibility. It must be our business leaders who have invested their money and time into businesses they want to become more profitable. It could be anyone who is willing to do whatever it takes to turn this beautiful island community into the paradise it can still become for everyone who lives here and visits.
These individuals (you) are the ones that will make a difference. It will take thinking beyond your own personal interests and embracing the bigger picture in order for you to know what decisions are best. It may require making some personal sacrifices now so we can have a stronger and more vibrant future.
A few weeks ago I returned home from an all-day planning conference that was held by the College and read this email from Janel. This summarizes why I’ve applied to become the president, it inspired me to write this article, and hopefully it will prompt you to take personal responsibility to make a difference in your life, your family, business, job, and community.
“Just a note to say I love you and that I am thankful that you are one of the ones standing up to help get us through tough times. It is interesting to watch who is emerging as our community is getting hit hard by pride. I read the paper and the voices that we are hearing cry out, I believe, are our future leaders. This storm the community is facing may very well prove to be a weeding out of old dogmatic ways and bring proven methods, that are old but tried and true, to our rescue. No matter who is chosen, you have made me proud that you have sacrificed your wants for the betterment of others! I love you and hope you have a great day!”
You see, I feel I’m a winner either way because I have the confidence and support of my wife, family, and friends and in their eyes I have stepped up to do what I feel is right. The Board of Regents now has the difficult decision to choose the next individual who will lead the College. The new president will face some very serious challenges that could make or break the institution. I know the Board will make the best decision for the future of the College, whomever is chosen.
I hope that you will step up to the challenge and be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. There is still time to improve our situation in the Commonwealth, but it will require more good people who are willing to face our many challenges. We have it within ourselves to turn things around, if we are willing to step up.
Many have wondered why my sweet wife’s face and name have not been attached to the articles written in the past few months. Since the names of the final two candidates for the president of the College have been made public, I feel I can now share the reason.
I considered applying for the position several months ago and I decided to write some articles that applied to the College. We felt that it would be best that the public understand that the articles expressed my personal views. Janel still provides input and suggestions, but I am ultimately responsible for what is said.
As the College was hit with multiple challenges prior to the position announcement, I did a careful analysis of the situation and even used a formal decision matrix to evaluate the alternatives. Basically, the choice boiled down to developing an Internet-based business that has the potential to be very lucrative and once set up would only require a few hours per week which would allow me to spend time with my young family and continue teaching – which I love to do.
The other option was to do something that will be extremely challenging, is very stressful, has an uncertain outcome, will require a huge sacrifice of my family as I give 100 percent to turn things around at the College, but it could be very fulfilling to collectively work with extraordinary people in the CNMI to fully realize the mission of the College and provide a better life for the students and community that I love.
It basically boiled down to either preparing a life raft for my family and me to safely float away if things get too bad here, or staying with the ship through thick or thin and use my management experience to get everyone to work together to not only steer the College to safety, but position it for sustainable growth. From a purely objective and analytical perspective the first choice garnered a lot more points on my decision matrix; however, I could tell that Janel was not convinced, and down deep I knew what was the right thing for me to do. So four days before the deadline I emailed some friends to provide letters of recommendation and to be references, put my packet together and submitted it.
I mention this because I believe there are many people in the community who are deeply concerned about our current situation in the Commonwealth and have started to not only become more vocal, but are taking steps to make a difference. They are doing this not for personal gain or ambition, but because they care about what’s happening and believe that there are viable solutions other than just waiting to hit rock bottom.
It will take individuals who are willing to step up to the challenges we are facing if we are to make it through these trying times successfully. Who are they? It should be our elected leaders and people hired in positions of responsibility. It must be our business leaders who have invested their money and time into businesses they want to become more profitable. It could be anyone who is willing to do whatever it takes to turn this beautiful island community into the paradise it can still become for everyone who lives here and visits.
These individuals (you) are the ones that will make a difference. It will take thinking beyond your own personal interests and embracing the bigger picture in order for you to know what decisions are best. It may require making some personal sacrifices now so we can have a stronger and more vibrant future.
A few weeks ago I returned home from an all-day planning conference that was held by the College and read this email from Janel. This summarizes why I’ve applied to become the president, it inspired me to write this article, and hopefully it will prompt you to take personal responsibility to make a difference in your life, your family, business, job, and community.
“Just a note to say I love you and that I am thankful that you are one of the ones standing up to help get us through tough times. It is interesting to watch who is emerging as our community is getting hit hard by pride. I read the paper and the voices that we are hearing cry out, I believe, are our future leaders. This storm the community is facing may very well prove to be a weeding out of old dogmatic ways and bring proven methods, that are old but tried and true, to our rescue. No matter who is chosen, you have made me proud that you have sacrificed your wants for the betterment of others! I love you and hope you have a great day!”
You see, I feel I’m a winner either way because I have the confidence and support of my wife, family, and friends and in their eyes I have stepped up to do what I feel is right. The Board of Regents now has the difficult decision to choose the next individual who will lead the College. The new president will face some very serious challenges that could make or break the institution. I know the Board will make the best decision for the future of the College, whomever is chosen.
I hope that you will step up to the challenge and be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. There is still time to improve our situation in the Commonwealth, but it will require more good people who are willing to face our many challenges. We have it within ourselves to turn things around, if we are willing to step up.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Ideas & Execution
.
The Office of Insular Affairs' Forum on Labor & Economic Development was held on Tuesday, November 9th with over 120 representatives from the government, education, and business collectively using their brainpower to find ways to increase revenue and federal funding, improve efficiency, create more jobs, and improve the quality of life. If we could implement the top ten percent of the ideas, it has the potential to steer our economic ship away from the impending iceberg.
The operative word in the previous sentence is “implement.” Now that we have a plethora of ideas, someone has to do something or nothing will get done. Many of the ideas will require more thought and planning, as well as adequate resources to get the ball rolling. However, some of them could be started right away with the resources we currently have at our disposal.
The concept of implementation has been the subject of several popular books. In Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan discuss execution cultures where exemplary on-time, on-budget performance is a vital key to exceptional results. The best-selling book Good to Great by Jim Collins identifies the power of steady, step-by-step implementation as the key to accelerating growth and improving performance. The bottom line is that the ideas need to translate into results that add value to others.
Robert A. Neiman in his book Execution Plain and Simple outlines 12 steps of execution, with the first step being: Take responsibility. Someone will need to be responsible for each idea to be implemented. This means taking the initiative to achieve specific objectives and tasks needed to see the idea through to fruition. This first step encompasses the mental preparation and commitment necessary to complete the other 11 steps of the process.
The second step requires the idea to be defined in writing, ideally in a memorandum that specifies the outcome, individuals involved, general timeframe, and the evaluation criteria to periodically report the progress being made. This becomes the assignment that is agreed upon before starting the project.
With your marching orders in hand, it is time to put together a good core team to help develop a solid strategy that will become the basic approach used to implement the project. This third step should lead to a plan of action that identifies the resources needed, clarifies roles of the team members, and possible risks and actions to avoid. This should be condensed into a one-page summary that will help members understand the important details and gain greater commitment.
The fourth step is to take the summary and get input from key players so the strategy can be refined. This will help get agreement from those who have bought into the project, and it will identify challenges before you start. With this insight you’ll be able to determine the feasibility of the project and make adjustments early in the process before you’ve committed a lot of time, energy, and money into it.
Now it’s time to actually take action and create momentum by holding a compelling launch event. Starting off with an event gets everyone’s attention, signals that this project is special, gets the team focused on the project, and lets the team know that others are aware of it and will be watching.
The sixth step is to spell out the specific tasks in writing. Team members need to know how they can contribute toward the project completion. This step also includes periodically reporting on the progress of the project through a weekly or monthly written progress report. When everything is running smoothly, the reports will be brief; however, the written report can also help identify problems and get the necessary support to keep the project moving forward.
Next, is an important step in execution: make demands effectively. Demands allow you to keep the project moving, establish a sense of control, and help create a sense of urgency. Effective demands are mandates that inspire people to do better and take personal accountability for the completion of the project.
The eighth step is to follow up like crazy without driving people crazy in the process. Make personal site visits to reinforce and advance the project. Follow up lets those responsible know that there’s high interest in the progress of the assignment.
Another important activity is to win constituents and overcome opposition. As you’re making progress on your project, there will inevitably be some snags along the way. Identifying your allies and getting their support will help overcome any political snafus that might occur.
The tenth step is to use creative problem solving to overcome unforeseen risks, delays, and obstacles. This requires brainstorming to develop options and then identify the best alternative. Specify the problem or issue and the factors that appear to be the root causes of the problem.
Eleven involves an intense push at the end to get the final results and recognize the effort made by the team. You started off with a launch, now it’s time to end the project with another event where team members are recognized, and possibly rewarded.
The last step is critical, but is often ignored. You should capture the lessons learned and disseminate your knowledge in a systematic manner so that others can benefit. This can be accomplished by asking this basic question in the assessment process: Did we fully accomplish all that we set out to accomplish?
The Forum on Labor and Economic Development was productive and helped generate a lot of ideas to improve the economy. It provided an opportunity for individuals from the public and private sector to meet and learn more about each other. Execution of the best ideas is now required to make things happen. You see, our intangible ideas are like seeds planted in the ground. They have the power to change our world and ultimately improve our life, but only if acted upon and nourished. If it’s a bad idea, it will fail, but if it’s a good idea it will add value to the lives of others and change our circumstances. When the 12 steps are followed, your projects will start moving rapidly toward the specified goals, and your strategic plan will become a living, working document.
The Office of Insular Affairs' Forum on Labor & Economic Development was held on Tuesday, November 9th with over 120 representatives from the government, education, and business collectively using their brainpower to find ways to increase revenue and federal funding, improve efficiency, create more jobs, and improve the quality of life. If we could implement the top ten percent of the ideas, it has the potential to steer our economic ship away from the impending iceberg.
The operative word in the previous sentence is “implement.” Now that we have a plethora of ideas, someone has to do something or nothing will get done. Many of the ideas will require more thought and planning, as well as adequate resources to get the ball rolling. However, some of them could be started right away with the resources we currently have at our disposal.
The concept of implementation has been the subject of several popular books. In Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan discuss execution cultures where exemplary on-time, on-budget performance is a vital key to exceptional results. The best-selling book Good to Great by Jim Collins identifies the power of steady, step-by-step implementation as the key to accelerating growth and improving performance. The bottom line is that the ideas need to translate into results that add value to others.
Robert A. Neiman in his book Execution Plain and Simple outlines 12 steps of execution, with the first step being: Take responsibility. Someone will need to be responsible for each idea to be implemented. This means taking the initiative to achieve specific objectives and tasks needed to see the idea through to fruition. This first step encompasses the mental preparation and commitment necessary to complete the other 11 steps of the process.
The second step requires the idea to be defined in writing, ideally in a memorandum that specifies the outcome, individuals involved, general timeframe, and the evaluation criteria to periodically report the progress being made. This becomes the assignment that is agreed upon before starting the project.
With your marching orders in hand, it is time to put together a good core team to help develop a solid strategy that will become the basic approach used to implement the project. This third step should lead to a plan of action that identifies the resources needed, clarifies roles of the team members, and possible risks and actions to avoid. This should be condensed into a one-page summary that will help members understand the important details and gain greater commitment.
The fourth step is to take the summary and get input from key players so the strategy can be refined. This will help get agreement from those who have bought into the project, and it will identify challenges before you start. With this insight you’ll be able to determine the feasibility of the project and make adjustments early in the process before you’ve committed a lot of time, energy, and money into it.
Now it’s time to actually take action and create momentum by holding a compelling launch event. Starting off with an event gets everyone’s attention, signals that this project is special, gets the team focused on the project, and lets the team know that others are aware of it and will be watching.
The sixth step is to spell out the specific tasks in writing. Team members need to know how they can contribute toward the project completion. This step also includes periodically reporting on the progress of the project through a weekly or monthly written progress report. When everything is running smoothly, the reports will be brief; however, the written report can also help identify problems and get the necessary support to keep the project moving forward.
Next, is an important step in execution: make demands effectively. Demands allow you to keep the project moving, establish a sense of control, and help create a sense of urgency. Effective demands are mandates that inspire people to do better and take personal accountability for the completion of the project.
The eighth step is to follow up like crazy without driving people crazy in the process. Make personal site visits to reinforce and advance the project. Follow up lets those responsible know that there’s high interest in the progress of the assignment.
Another important activity is to win constituents and overcome opposition. As you’re making progress on your project, there will inevitably be some snags along the way. Identifying your allies and getting their support will help overcome any political snafus that might occur.
The tenth step is to use creative problem solving to overcome unforeseen risks, delays, and obstacles. This requires brainstorming to develop options and then identify the best alternative. Specify the problem or issue and the factors that appear to be the root causes of the problem.
Eleven involves an intense push at the end to get the final results and recognize the effort made by the team. You started off with a launch, now it’s time to end the project with another event where team members are recognized, and possibly rewarded.
The last step is critical, but is often ignored. You should capture the lessons learned and disseminate your knowledge in a systematic manner so that others can benefit. This can be accomplished by asking this basic question in the assessment process: Did we fully accomplish all that we set out to accomplish?
The Forum on Labor and Economic Development was productive and helped generate a lot of ideas to improve the economy. It provided an opportunity for individuals from the public and private sector to meet and learn more about each other. Execution of the best ideas is now required to make things happen. You see, our intangible ideas are like seeds planted in the ground. They have the power to change our world and ultimately improve our life, but only if acted upon and nourished. If it’s a bad idea, it will fail, but if it’s a good idea it will add value to the lives of others and change our circumstances. When the 12 steps are followed, your projects will start moving rapidly toward the specified goals, and your strategic plan will become a living, working document.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Purpose-driven
“The greatest waste in America is failure to use the abilities of people.” – W. Edwards Deming
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus the king of Corinth was famed as the craftiest of men and even considered himself a peer with the gods. He cheated death on two occasions and had to be dragged by Hermes to the underworld. His offense against the gods was so great that Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a steep hill in Hades. Before he could reach the top, the boulder would roll back down the hill and he was forced to endlessly repeat the cycle. In this Greek version of hell, Sisyphus was eternally condemned to perform demanding, but meaningless activity.
There is a great discrepancy in the workforce between the capability of people and their actual results. Many employees are condemned to work in organizations that provide little meaning to their lives, nor offer a clear connection between their efforts and the results of the business. This disconnect between effort and results causes people to give less than their full abilities, creates a lack of purpose, and can make people feel like they’re engaged in a Sisyphean task.
Without a purpose, no one in your organization will know what you are trying to achieve, or why you even exist in the first place. In a purposeless organization, everything feels meaningless. Purpose and meaning are essential if you want to create a work environment where people are committed to the goals of the organization. They must feel like they are doing something worthwhile, and that they are making a real contribution.
The political scientist James McGregor Burns published an influential study of U.S. Presidents who inspired effective national change. The common element of these men was that they inspired a compelling vision toward a worthy purpose which the nation could rally around. The purpose and vision allowed people to align their efforts to cooperate and solve pressing issues. Burns pointed out that a meaningful purpose appeals to the higher intrinsic nature of people, rather than to their lower needs of self interest and extrinsic rewards.
When your organization offers employees meaningful work that has a clearly defined purpose or mission, your business will benefit from highly-engaged team members who work for more than their paycheck. These employees feel true devotion and bring their energy and vitality to what they do. If you’re facing a difficult challenge, a worthwhile purpose will provide the impetus to overcome any difficulty.
Purpose also acts as a guide to keep your organization moving in the right direction. It allows you to manage your business without having to physically be there because people know the direction it is headed, and can make decisions that keep it on track.
Purpose starts with the leader and works its way throughout the organization to influence the products and services you offer, and impact the experiences of your customers. In fact, to discover your purpose you must start with your customer. Your purpose should satisfy a critical need or alleviate the pain, frustration, or challenge your customer experiences. People spend a lot of money, time, and energy for lotions, potions, and pills that remove pain, help lose weight, or make them feel younger. They buy tons of things that make their lives happier, easier, or better in some way.
Here are some of the stated purposes of well-known companies. Microsoft began with the purpose to put “a computer on every desk and in every home.” This offered Microsoft a vision and provided a scorecard to examine how the company was succeeding every day. Google’s purpose is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Facebook wants to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Purpose-driven organizations are more innovative, attract highly-qualified employees, and are more productive. Your productivity will improve because you have criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of everything you do. The ideas of others can be gauged against the value it has to the purpose, and customers who are aligned to your purpose will become repeat, loyal customers.
If you’re struggling in a down economy, it might be worth your time to examine your mission and ask yourself if it aligns with the needs of your customers and inspires your employees to become fully engaged. An inspiring purpose may be all you need to change your circumstances and achieve your destiny.
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus the king of Corinth was famed as the craftiest of men and even considered himself a peer with the gods. He cheated death on two occasions and had to be dragged by Hermes to the underworld. His offense against the gods was so great that Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a steep hill in Hades. Before he could reach the top, the boulder would roll back down the hill and he was forced to endlessly repeat the cycle. In this Greek version of hell, Sisyphus was eternally condemned to perform demanding, but meaningless activity.
There is a great discrepancy in the workforce between the capability of people and their actual results. Many employees are condemned to work in organizations that provide little meaning to their lives, nor offer a clear connection between their efforts and the results of the business. This disconnect between effort and results causes people to give less than their full abilities, creates a lack of purpose, and can make people feel like they’re engaged in a Sisyphean task.
Without a purpose, no one in your organization will know what you are trying to achieve, or why you even exist in the first place. In a purposeless organization, everything feels meaningless. Purpose and meaning are essential if you want to create a work environment where people are committed to the goals of the organization. They must feel like they are doing something worthwhile, and that they are making a real contribution.
The political scientist James McGregor Burns published an influential study of U.S. Presidents who inspired effective national change. The common element of these men was that they inspired a compelling vision toward a worthy purpose which the nation could rally around. The purpose and vision allowed people to align their efforts to cooperate and solve pressing issues. Burns pointed out that a meaningful purpose appeals to the higher intrinsic nature of people, rather than to their lower needs of self interest and extrinsic rewards.
When your organization offers employees meaningful work that has a clearly defined purpose or mission, your business will benefit from highly-engaged team members who work for more than their paycheck. These employees feel true devotion and bring their energy and vitality to what they do. If you’re facing a difficult challenge, a worthwhile purpose will provide the impetus to overcome any difficulty.
Purpose also acts as a guide to keep your organization moving in the right direction. It allows you to manage your business without having to physically be there because people know the direction it is headed, and can make decisions that keep it on track.
Purpose starts with the leader and works its way throughout the organization to influence the products and services you offer, and impact the experiences of your customers. In fact, to discover your purpose you must start with your customer. Your purpose should satisfy a critical need or alleviate the pain, frustration, or challenge your customer experiences. People spend a lot of money, time, and energy for lotions, potions, and pills that remove pain, help lose weight, or make them feel younger. They buy tons of things that make their lives happier, easier, or better in some way.
Here are some of the stated purposes of well-known companies. Microsoft began with the purpose to put “a computer on every desk and in every home.” This offered Microsoft a vision and provided a scorecard to examine how the company was succeeding every day. Google’s purpose is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Facebook wants to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Purpose-driven organizations are more innovative, attract highly-qualified employees, and are more productive. Your productivity will improve because you have criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of everything you do. The ideas of others can be gauged against the value it has to the purpose, and customers who are aligned to your purpose will become repeat, loyal customers.
If you’re struggling in a down economy, it might be worth your time to examine your mission and ask yourself if it aligns with the needs of your customers and inspires your employees to become fully engaged. An inspiring purpose may be all you need to change your circumstances and achieve your destiny.
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