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.