Giving Purpose, Direction, and Meaning to the Job at Hand

Giving Purpose, Direction, and Meaning to the Job at Hand

By John R. Schultz

Purpose is a considered state of being.?It describes the reason for why something is done, created, or exists. Purpose is that feeling that everyone has when they accomplish what they set out to do. ?Both individuals and organizations have a purpose, a reason for doing what they do.?Yet, often, the day-to-day activity that is the basis of their existence may not be clearly defined, leaving many without a sense of accomplishment or acting unknowingly in opposition to one another.?

All organizations have a purpose and were created because someone or some group thought a particular end was important.?Although, the desired reason may not be apparent to everyone, members of an organization do work at jobs that have relevant and essential outcomes.?The effort, however, may not be well coordinated and therefore directed at differing goals.?Leaders who can vividly translate the organization’s purpose into a unifying and tangible vision have a much better chance of getting the workforce focused and moving in a common direction.

A common purpose can be the catalyst, the compelling tug that will align disparate groups in a shared cause.?Having a well-defined purpose lets the workforce know: (1) what business the organization is in, (2) where it is headed eventually, and (3) how to set priorities over the short run so long-term objectives can be met.?Knowing and understanding the organization’s purpose can mean the difference between just working and working with intention.

Purpose and Why It’s Important

Workplaces are complex, multileveled, and filled with competing demands.?Yet as a functioning enterprise, there is usually one overriding reason for all the striving and hustle that goes on within its walls.?Nevertheless, lacking a clear sense of direction individual effort can lose focus and be at odds with other equally motivated well-meaning people.?Often individuals will act out of confusion and at cross-purposes because there are differing ideas about goals and how to achieve them.?The organization, although an industrious and thriving center of activity, may not be as competitive, effective, or efficient as its contemporaries.

Without a collective understanding, there is a tendency for people to become complacent and less inclined to take risks, particularly when current operations seem to be reasonably effective. ?Work gets done but at a measured pace where enduring the day-to-day vagaries of one’s job is more likely to become the focus. The familiar routines allow employees to develop a sense of well-being that is reassuring but less motivating. The result, however, is organizational performance that is lackluster because work groups are doing only what is necessary. In this case, a compelling statement of purpose clearly defining where the organization is headed and why the work being done is important could provide inspiration for a new mental model and a renewed focus toward organizational goals.???

An organization or business has a multitude of communities it must accommodate and appeal to.?The purpose and any accompanying mission, vision, and value statement should focus actions on constituent needs as well as inform these groups that the organization is acting in their best interests.?The major groups and their typical needs are:

Customers:?This group receives the output of organizational endeavor. Customers expect goods and services that meet a set of perceived needs for quality, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance.

Employees:?This group produces the goods and services that the organization provides.?Employees expect safe and comfortable work conditions; in addition, they want to feel their effort has meaning, is appreciated, and want to be adequately compensated.?There will be an expectation for training, tutoring, and mentoring so work can be accomplished effectively and efficiently.

Shareholders:?This group has risked capital to help fund organizational expansion and growth.?Shareholders expect a return on their outlay that equals or exceeds the prevailing rates that can be received from less speculative investments.??Large investors will often try to influence organizational decisions to ensure an ongoing flow of income.

Stakeholders:?This group, also directly impacted by organizational decisions, includes suppliers, contractors, and the community at large.?These individuals will expect to be treated honestly, equitably, and as respected neighbors and citizens.

Constituent groups have a fundamental need to understand how the organization’s future direction will affect their lives. Statements of purpose need to clarify how things will be different, what sacrifices will have to be made, and what the ultimately payoff will be.?In short, a well-stated purpose helps individuals define their relationship with others and the organization.

Creating a Purpose

The ability to set a clear and distinct direction is an elemental attribute of leadership.?Creating a compelling purpose with a clear vision lets everyone know what the organization is up to and can align people in a common committed effort.?History has shown that this capacity to rally others toward a shared goal is an essential characteristic of a successful leader. ?However, being a visionary does not mean a plan was devised in isolation and then rolled out with fanfare and the cry “follow me.”?The behavior people will remember, and support is inclusion—a feeling that constituent groups were part of the vision-shaping process.?Leadership in this context means understanding situational needs, the environment, workgroup expectations, and then interpreting and explaining what should be done.?It’s about showing a plausible and convincing view of the future, and how goals align with follower expectations.

Creating a purpose and future sense of direction begins with understanding the organization—its past, its reputation, and its capabilities.?The job of crafting a reason for existence and a future vision is like performing a gap analysis.?The process raises questions and then gets workgroups to evaluate and respond with considered answers about concerns and expectations. The activity concludes by distilling gathered information into a compelling reason for moving in a direction where everyone can imagine a stake in the future.?The statement should be specific to current conditions—the needs of customers, clients, and stakeholders.?Generic terms, unrealistic objectives, or outcomes beyond organizational capabilities will not work.?Constituent groups will promptly recognize the announcement for what it is—a pretense unrelated to prevailing realities—and will tune out.?Once people feel they have been betrayed or marginalized, they will look for ways to undercut the perceived injustice.??Over time, the cause will be battered by an undercurrent as workgroups and stakeholders try to attain a more realistic balance.

A well-designed statement of purpose should be:

• Brief so that it can be easily explained and communicated.
• Clear and focused so there is a common understanding about expected results.
• Realistic in its intention, so the end appears obtainable.

It should:

• Convey a representative picture of the future and the desired end.
• Enable and appeal to both customers and stakeholders.

The message should not be buried in a maze of flowery statements that can leave people perplexed.?For example, although engaging, the following example overstates the purpose:

Our purpose here at ABC University is to have a profound impact on the lives of our students, staff, and community by building a job-ready workforce through the creation and delivery of competency-based courses in an accessible and caring learning environment.

Equally engaging but more compelling is this example:

ABC University will be an accessible and acclaimed learning center capable of changing lives.?????

The initiative for creating a shared purpose is typically the responsibility of top management. Leadership should frame and communicate intentions in a manner that projects a sense of community. When beginning the vision shaping, indicate that the undertaking will involve everyone, be open to all ideas, encourage freely spoken comments, and include small group activities. Because of normal structural barriers and the daily pressures of work, organizational members may not feel they can act spontaneously when asked to participate in the process. The workforce will have helpful clues to a mutual understanding but be weary due to experience. ?Organizational leaders will need to act with consideration when initiating conversations by asking employees to tap into their knowledge of organizational character. Leadership’s job will be to question, listen for answers, reflect upon what was learned, and craft a representative picture out of what was uncovered. The power of this process and the quality of results will depend upon attitude, and the capacity of senior managers to project genuine sincerity. Being honest and true to intentions is important because saying one thing and then doing otherwise will undermine the endeavor.

The Process

The steps below outline the process for creating a declaration of purpose. It begins with a round of meetings where people can express themselves honestly, so the information gathered is unfiltered. Use trusted employees — those whom the workforce looks to for guidance and inspiration— as facilitators. Do not depend exclusively on the usual group of executives and assistants who may be viewed as stewards for the status quo. Look to those who have status in their own sphere regardless of formal position in the hierarchy. Use true organizational loyalists who can tap into the enterprise’s deeper sense of history. Honest impressions from people who care about the organization’s character, are the desired result, not someone’s filtered feel-good interpretation.

Listen:?Hold listening sessions for everyone in the organization.?The group size for each session should be somewhere between 20 and 25.?Break the groups into teams of about five.?Ask the following questions and allow time between each question for people to respond:

• What are past attributes that have made this organization what it is??Include questions about customer service, product quality, working conditions, social responsibility, or fiscal stability.?Use the affinity approach to gather and group ideas according to common themes.?An explanation of the method appears in exhibit 1.
• What is the organization not doing well and what are things that can be done to balance and restrain these negative forces??Use the Force Field analysis technique to identify negative and positive ideas.?An explanation of this method appears in exhibit 2.
• What legacy would you like to see the organization leave that will help carry it into the future??Again, use the affinity approach to gather and group ideas.

Synthesize:?The previous sessions will generate several prioritized lists containing ideas and insights into the workforce’s closely held feelings, both good and bad, concerning the current environment and where the organization ought to be headed.?

• Give copies of these lists to senior managers and allow several days so the responses can be studied and considered.
• At a joint meeting. In a round-table fashion, ask each executive to summarize his or her feelings, both negative and positive, about the information gathered. ?Record the answers on a flip chart or whiteboard.
• Ask the group to find a common theme based on the listening session summaries.?Use the affinity technique to consolidate ideas.
• Now ask each executive to write a statement of purpose. Then have these read aloud so everyone at the meeting can get a sense of the prevailing frame of mind.?Retain copies for later consideration.

Create:?Take several days to study what was said and then develop a declaration of purpose.?Deciding what should be done first will be up to the chief executive.?Some individuals are particularly good at zeroing in on a key phrase while others need to construct the larger purpose first; then find the vital thread that pulls it all together.?Enlist the help of someone who is good with words, and at crafting clear and logical statements—an administrative assistant, fellow executive, or consultant.?However, the fundamental concepts should be the result of the CEO’s thinking.

• Present this version of purpose statements to the executive staff for discussion. ?Encourage critical feedback and suggestions, approval is not the objective right away.?
• Make modifications where needed.?Refinements are just part of the process. Think in terms of values. Consider all constituent groups. Rethink actions not just surroundings.?
• Share this version with the executive group and the workforce. Invite questions and comments to be returned to the chief executive using email, messaging, or notes in the office mail.
• If needed, make further refinements, rethinking is par for the course, but stay true to historic touchstones, and remember less is more. Check refinements with trusted staff. When there is a polished version that can be personally supported, make it public.

Publicize: The task will take both selling and telling. Selling creates a sense of urgency while telling explains why. The campaign should be an ongoing process. It should describe the need, elaborate on the benefits for moving in a new direction, and rationalize the ease of future operations and the rewards derived from changes. The goal, of course, is to make the need for change obvious so that all members of the organization are ready and willing to take a chance on the proposed future.

• Use different methods: Often day-to-day concerns can overshadow a single declaration about purpose and vision. When the message comes from several different directions, it is not as likely to be ignored. Devices for spreading the word typically include meetings, memos, emails, posters, newsletters, personal contact, and social media.?
• Repeat the message at regular intervals: People will need to be reminded that the newly crafted purpose represents a change in direction and is as important as other daily tasks and obligations. A continuous dialogue keeps the goal in the forefront and ahead of the clutter from competing messages. The ongoing communication lets people know that this change in direction is real and will not go away or be replaced.?
• Focus on the benefits: Frame the message in terms of customer and stakeholder relations rather than on the need to reduce costs or increase profits. People can readily empathize with customers and understand that delighted customers are repeat customers, and that a drop in customer base can mean a loss of jobs. Describe operating efficiency and how the proposed transformation will make work-life better.
• Avoid overselling; create buy-in instead: A blatantly optimistic picture or one that is outside recognized realities can undercut enthusiasm.?People seldom change when exhortations make them feel manipulated.?Individuals will get on board when the need for progress is seen as plausible and workable.?Those being asked to make changes will take a leap of faith if rewards realistically outweigh prevailing conditions.

Anchoring the Purpose

A well-conceived and coordinated program can begin to fall apart when those in charge undermine the proposed new direction. Leaders may talk one way but exhibit defensive routines—and do so in the name of being positive or because “everyone else” wants it that way—that can choke acceptance for the recently crafted purpose. Well-meaning managers, canceling a personal agenda, may champion the purpose, describe its benefits, and act with concern, yet conduct themselves in ways that oppose the spirit and values embedded in the newly stated purpose.

Managers advocating for change but behaving with ambiguity can undermine the newly stated position. Displaying privileged or guarded behavior sends a mixed message that cannot be easily explained away. Actions that avoid exposure to discomfort or obscure lack of ability can heighten resistance and discourage further risk-taking. People in the workforce will readily recognize the potential vulnerability and look for defensive strategies that can stop further cooperation.

Don’t expect everyone to feel a new purpose is the best thing since the invention of the internet.?The acceptance and feedback should be normally distributed. About 15 percent of the workforce will enthusiastically start pushing in a new direction—initiating projects and encouraging others to get involved.?The majority, around 70 percent, will respond with optimism but need to see meaningful developments and some actual results.?This group will require encouragement, help to find opportunities for involvement, and expect guidance in their efforts toward prevailing goals and objectives.?Their involvement, conversion, and loyalty will require orchestration and facilitation.?Another 10 percent will respond with skepticism and want reassurance that indeed the organization is headed in the right direction.?These individuals will play a waiting game and delay approval while watching to see what happens.?Lastly, there will be a small group, about 5 percent, who will never view the new purpose as going in the right direction.?They are by nature contrary and cautious, will need to be persuaded and converted, or asked to find a more suitable situation elsewhere.

Managing improvement requires not only handling the technical aspects of change but also dealing with the human behavioral issues that are inevitably encountered. By not taking the time to consider stakeholder needs and circumstances, a well-crafted change in purpose can fail to gain traction while workgroups and supervisors come to grips with new and unfamiliar concepts. People who work in and manage operational processes can become grousing skeptics, procrastinators, and even active resistors. Frustration will build and ideas may end up being half-heartedly accepted without creating any real sense of ownership or lasting impact. ?

Although the inclusion of workgroups can consume valuable time and create frustration for advocates of speedy change, groups affected by the new organizational direction need to be part of the decision-making process and be allowed to work their way through developmental stages. In most organizational settings people have options. They can quit, go on strike, reduce their output, protest, and sabotage directives, or engage in a campaign to overthrow the status quo and gain control. Ultimately, change needs to be more than a spectator pursuit.?

A well-intentioned and worthy cause can lose steam when:

• The vision appears muddled—when the statement of purpose is buried in a paragraph of ambiguous and sometimes competing ideas.
• The vision is under-communicated, particularly when leaders assume that everyone knows what is happening because development activity has been a high-profile effort.
• Competing ideas eclipse the new vision and the demand imposed by normal daily activities pushes aside the need for change while work continues as usual on pressing but intruding issues.??

Change will not happen until people feel that their sacrifice and contribution to the organization’s advancement are producing measurable benefits and results. ?There will need to be ongoing action facilitating work that has both purpose and meaning enabling a more fulfilling experience. W. Edwards Deming (1986), in his book Out of the Crisis, suggested that constancy of purpose was to stay in business, to provide jobs for people, by planning now for products and services that will have a market value in the future.?

The development and communication of a compelling purpose along with corresponding mission, vision, and value statements, sets the organization on a shared path toward predictable short and long-term goals.?However, obtaining these desired results will take managerial steadiness and constancy of action.

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References

Deming, W.E. (1986). Out of the crisis. ?Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.

Grant, A. (2021). Think again. New York NY: Viking.

Hunt, V. D. (1992). Quality in America: How to implement a competitive quality program. Homewood IL:?Business One Irwin.

Scholtes, P.R. (1998).?The leader’s handbook. New York NY:?McGraw-Hill.

Schultz, J.R. (2014). Four-Cornered leadership. Boca Raton FL: CRC Press.

Schultz. J.R. (March/April 2014). Framing the organization’s purpose with its ultimate goal in mind. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. pp. 46-55.