Defining A Clear Purpose

Most companies spend too much time talking about what they do – very few talk about why. Simon Sinek spoke at TED several years ago on this topic. “People don’t buy what you do,” he said. “They buy why you do it.”

For some, this may cause a bit of an eye roll. It shouldn’t.

There are tremendous differences between an organization defined by rules and procedures versus one defined by purpose and values.

I recently came across a new report from Boston Consulting Group and BrightHouse that looked at the power of purpose within businesses (note: I worked at BCG earlier in my career). The report found that:

1. Businesses with strong clarity of purpose drive greater total shareholder return than businesses where purpose is not as ingrained.
2. In an uncertain business environment, when companies and industries are constantly in transformation, purpose provides stability.
3. Purpose is a powerful intrinsic motivator for employees – it fosters emotion and allows employees to feel a part of something bigger.

Defining a clear purpose can strengthen an organization: its shareholders, operations, and employees. This validates much of what we’ve experienced at Arby’s. 

At Arby’s, our purpose is Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences?

Our purpose:   

Defines the business we're in: the Experiences business.

We are much more than serving food. We are a lunch break, a dinner with family, a special afternoon treat with a group of friends after school – Arby’s is an experience, and we strive to make sure that each and every guest leaves our restaurants feeling like they have had a positive and enjoyable experience.

Sets the bar for our performance: to craft Delicious menu items.

In 2013, we unveiled the long-term vision for Arby’s – “Deli-Inspired Delicious,” a term we use internally. This vision is about serving delicious food at a great value, prepared fresh to order for each guest, served with a friendly, neighborly feel. The vision of Deli-Inspired Delicious has been our guide for everything related to the brand, from product development and advertising, to our service culture and restaurant design.

Provides clarity around our ultimate objective: to Inspire Smiles.

This establishes an end goal for our efforts. Inspiring smiles among our guests is what every member of the organization – from the corporate headquarters to the restaurant team members – is setting out to do. After all, given that we are in the experiences business, what could be more important than inspiring smiles?

Our purpose statement is everywhere. From service pins and team member awards, to posters on the wall, even to the coasters you find on conference tables throughout our headquarters. We have ingrained it in nearly every initiative we undertake.

When an entire organization is aligned on its purpose, people at all levels can creatively, organically, and rapidly come up with new ideas to deliver on that purpose.

Through this, what we’ve found is that defining a purpose has become one of our brand’s most important assets.

What’s your organization’s purpose, and how are you helping to support it?