The first step to a people-centered strategy

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Alignment between market strategy, organizational purpose, and personal meaning fuels the engine of growth...

“How does an organization become people-centered?” is a question I’ve heard a number of times recently. Fundamentally, it comes down to the alignment of three things: value proposition, organizational purpose, and personal meaning.

Aligning these three isn’t easy, but can serve as a powerful motivator to fulfilling purpose and winning in the marketplace. As a brief thought exercise, try filling in the blanks below and see if these ring true:

1. Our organization, ______, is really good at ______.
2. Besides creating financial value, this is really important because ______.
3. This means that every day our employees are energized with the opportunity to ______.

Some guidelines for each of the above:

• Our organization, ______, is really good at ______.

Here it’s important to capture what you believe is your organization’s unique value proposition or differentiator. This value proposition almost always serves as the core element of strategy, underpinning positioning in the marketplace. Typically, we look at our offering, be it a product or service, and elaborate on what it does better than other offerings that may serve as substitutes. In setting forth a people-centered strategy, it’s important to capture what the value proposition inspires in the customer.

• Besides creating financial returns, this is really important because ______.

When an organization is entirely focused on the bottom line, the human element of growing organizations is lost. The statement above should tie your differentiator to your reason for existence. In this way, your organization begins to have purpose, which becomes important for each and every person that interacts with it. This purpose becomes the change in the world your organization is trying to create, one interaction at a time.

• This means that every day our employees are energized with the opportunity to ______.

A sense of organizational purpose creates personal meaning for the individuals that come to work day in and day out. When there is alignment between the three nodes of personal meaning, organizational purpose, and market differentiation, companies experience not only market success but fulfillment at a human level, particularly for employees.

Of important note is that this is a ‘differentiator-driven approach,’ meaning the articulation of purpose comes after defining the current positioning of the product or service you are offering. While helpful for many organizations, this approach may not always be the best course. In the cases of new products and services, startups, and industries which have transformed, it also makes sense to start with aligning an organization’s differentiator and purpose with the need in the marketplace.

Both approaches are meant to outline the critical importance of people in the role of strategy. Alignment between market strategy, the dent the organization hopes to make in the world (purpose) and the reason people come to work every day (meaning) fuels the engine of growth, connecting and energizing stakeholders along the way. 

How have strategy, purpose, and meaning connected for you or your organization? We’d love to hear your comments and thoughts.

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