Why are you in business? If you – and your employees – cannot articulate your raison d’être quickly and briefly, you need to rethink your organization’s reason for being.
Organizations today must have what I call a compelling purpose that guides decisions and actions. Never has this been more important. People of every working age want to contribute to something more significant than a mere paycheque.
Successful organizations are moving away from the standard vision and mission statement posted on the wall (and let’s face it, no one really believes in them anyway) and creating a work-life that is meaningful, has genuine purpose and resonates with others. Every organization must have a compelling purpose at its core, and it must be felt deeply by its leaders. Success has been defined by many people as the realization of a worthy goal, and at the heart of an organization’s compelling purpose must lie a worthy goal.
There are many examples of an organisational compelling purpose but one of my favourites is Patagonia, an internationally successful company that has a compelling purpose at its very core. Check out their website or purchase a copy of the founder’s book, Let My People Go Surfing. You will love the fresh perspective and will quickly be able to define Patagonia’s compelling purpose that has brought the company enormous success.
