Purpose Driven Enterprise

Creating a Purpose-driven Enterprise

Dear Valued Customers

In 1903, George Bernard Shaw stated in his book titled “Man and Superman” that all progress depends on the unreasonable man.  This vividly comes out when we carry out surveys of great enterprises on their secret sauce of enduring successes.  Of course when we are talking about performance up to their potential, we are referring to men as well as women.  However, only the top executives of enterprises don’t bring that much awaited creativity, innovation and change.  Like the adage says, if you want to go fast go alone but if you want to go far go together. The power of group and system thinking cannot be overemphasized.  Basically it is the ability and capacity to create a synergized and purpose-driven enterprise with a more committed workforce.

Still, the issue is how to get your people to bringing their smarts and energy to work?  Believing in the power of higher organisational purpose while moving beyond a clear vision/mission is foundational and fundamental.  It is like moving above economic exchanges and reflecting something more aspirational.  We need to make a difference by giving our people a sense of meaning and drawing their support on a daily basis.  Devoting more of their time to work and bringing their smarts and creativity to their jobs while breaking free of their old and tired behaviors.

How do we create such enduring organisation to work and decide better?  The answer is to connect the people to their purpose.  Very often enterprises do come forward with an immersive 1-full day cultural orientation in a resort and make a promise to provide extraordinary service to people.  They will be asking questions and sharing ideas about how to fulfill their purpose.  However, sadly it lives short life where workers indulge in their daily routine once they are at their place of work.

Therefore, there is need to develop the right framework whereby the authentic purpose permeates the overall strategy and decision-making so that their personal good and the collective good become one.  In fact, the employees should be reenergized on a constant basis to be able to envision an inspired workforce who take pride in everything they do.  This collective creation model builds on the notion of a fully engaged workforce, capturing their minds and hearts.  It requires empathy, asking provocative questions, listening and reflecting that is the need to learn and unlearn in the organisation.  The organisation itself often discovers its purpose when things are going badly.  Its true nature is revealed by what its leaders do in difficult times especially with complexity and competing demands.

Learning and development are indeed powerful incentives where the job becomes an incubator for creativity and empowerment and employee gains confidence and commit to the higher purpose.  Therefore, the higher purpose must be continually communicated with utter clarity and courage enabling all the employees to personally identify with its collective purpose.

So a purpose driven enterprise is not just a lofty ideal.   It has practical implications.  People who find meaning in their work, don’t hoard their energy and dedication.  They give them freely, defying conventional economic assumptions about self-interest.  They prefer to grow rather than stagnate.  They do more and they do it better for a transformative change.

See you soon.

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