On Purpose

People Need Purpose, But Strategy Does Not Define It.

We have purpose behind our actions. Every action. We don’t make efforts in vain - what would be the point??

That means teams, also, need purpose.

We are purpose-seeking when we form as teams. We unwittingly define a shared purpose out of a compulsion to define it for ourselves.?

That Group Purpose - it endures. It is a touchstone for the team thereafter. It drives the rationale, morale and decision-making of the group's subsequent actions.?

What if we do not believe in the Group Purpose? Well, we still need it. Our need for purpose supersedes whether or not we agree with it.

A new team - it's like a newborn. It cannot survive on its own. It does not care for itself. We have to raise it. We have to tell it what it is and how to act. We give it purpose.

That is why Strategy is the most dangerous word in business.?

Strategy surfaces when teams form and define the Group Purpose. We use Strategy in the purpose definition itself. We align under that definition. It motivates our actions. And while there are plenty of valid use cases for it, Strategy masks misalignment in teams that don't share a common definition of it.?

Initiatives fail when teams misunderstand the Group Purpose. They fail in the worst way - out of nowhere. The misalignment surprises us. It manifests conflict. It derails teams at their most crucial moments.

Broadly speaking, business needs to be more consistent in delivering value as teams.?

Pay attention to Strategy when it shows up in the Group Purpose. Unpack it with the group. Drive the team to define it in context of the Group Purpose being formed.?

Group Purpose defines Strategy, not the other way around.