For Managers - motivating your team through vision and purpose

Team members are humans and as humans, we have a deep need to feel part of something bigger and meaningful. We want to know that our lives and time are not wasted on trivial pursuits. This is especially true in the workplace, where we spend a significant portion of our waking hours. Without clear and compelling vision, mission and purpose, the work we do — personally or within a team — lacks drive and motivation.

Simon Sinek explains the importance of a clear vision, mission, and purpose in his book, Start with Why, using the Golden Circle principle. The Golden Circle consists of three concentric circles: Why (Vision + Purpose), How (Principle + Values), and What (Strategies + Ways of Working).?

The inside circles of ‘Why’ and ‘How’ connect to and are processed by the limbic brain, which is where trust and loyalty are born and where our gut decisions come from. The ‘What’ connects to and is processed in the neocortex, where information processing and rational thoughts occur. You can flood someone with knowledge and information (the ‘What’ circle), but it will never drive their behaviour in the long term— that happens in the limbic brain. A clear, compelling ‘Why’ is far more likely to inspire and motivate engagement and performance than a list of tools, rules or interesting information.

This is easy enough in small companies and teams, but as a company scales the vision and mission for the company and teams get diluted. We have seen this over and over.??

So where to start, the first step is extremely simple: intentional conversation over a cup of coffee. The best time to do this is usually in the first week of onboarding a new team member, but if you have missed this opportunity with most of your team members, the second best best opportunity is at your soonest convenience!

For some managers or team leaders conversations like this might feel overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be! We recommend preparing well, choosing a location that is not in the hustle of business and make sure you have 30-45 min of undisturbed time!

Here are some guidelines you can touch on during the conversation:

• ASK Why the team member chose to apply/ accept this job at this specific company?
• SHARE What is the purpose and vision of the company? Understand the company's overarching vision and purpose and how it relates to your team's mission and goals.
• SHARE Why does this purpose and vision excite you as a manager? How do you connect to the vision and purpose of the company? Understanding and being able to articulate how you personally connect to the company's vision and purpose is critical for you to be able to communicate it to your team.
• ASK Is there something about the vision and mission that makes the team member excited?
• SHARE What is the purpose and vision for the team? Clearly communicate your team's mission and goals and how they contribute to the company's vision.
• SHARE How does this specific team member's role in the team contribute to accomplishing the team's vision (which in turn impacts the company's vision)? Help your team members understand how their work contributes to the team's and company's success in the long run.

In conclusion, it is essential to communicate the company and team's vision and purpose clearly to every team member to inspire and motivate them in their daily activities. As a manager or team leader, preparing for these critical conversations can help your team understand their role in the company's vision and contribute to the overall success of the company. Remember, team members are humans, and as humans, we have a deep need to feel part of something bigger and meaningful. If you do not have a clear and compelling company or team vision yet, contact us for a free coffee, we can help!

We recommend the following reads if you are curious for more:

https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/

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