06th October 2021
Guest blog: Now’s the Time to (Re)Discover Your Purpose
Mark Probert argues that employers are in the midst of a perfect storm with the socio economic climate, and lasting effects of the pandemic. Read this blog to learn how (re)discovering your purpose could be your ticket out of the turmoil as well as how to craft a great purpose that makes a difference to your people and organisation.
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A few weeks ago I started a series tackling the elements that I believe have created the perfect storm for employers. Employers are juggling global instability, the end of furlough, the battle for talent and, poor mental health linked to increased anxiety and burnout as a result of the pandemic.
I spoke a bit in my last blog about disjointed teams due to many factors. Some employees are returning from furlough but feel disconnected from their teams and the company they work for. Some employees have joined during the pandemic, have never met their colleagues in person and aren’t sure of team structures or who to turn to when they have problems. And even longstanding employees are feeling disconnected due to disruptions in working life and changes to team structures.
Never before has creating a sense of belonging and unity been so important
As many employees are feeling disengaged due to the reasons above, they are searching for a purpose that unites them and gives them a reason to want to come to work each day. That’s why I believe now is the time to make sure your company purpose is clear and compelling and is translated into everything you do.
If you’re still not convinced, your employees probably agree with me. One McKinsey Survey on organisational purpose in 2019 found that 82% of employees think it’s important to have a company purpose, 72% think purpose should receive more weight than profit but only 42% think their organisation’s purpose drives impact. These statistics are from before the pandemic. Since then the importance of a uniting purpose has only increased. As one Forbes article put it: “Nothing raises questions concerning life’s purpose like facing mortality”. After a year of turmoil, your employees are looking to you to create a purpose that they genuinely believe in, and to feel part of a group that shares their values.
The case for a strong purpose is clear, but how do you go about creating one that’s genuine and actually works?
I’m sorry to say there isn’t one magic answer to this question, but your people hold the key. Creating a company purpose that unites and motivates, needs deep reflection on what you and your people believe in and stand for.
How you gather the information is up to you. I would suggest something anonymous and structured, so you are able to collate the information and your people are able to be completely honest. Once you have the most important components outlined, involve your people in fine tuning and tailoring. The best way to create a purpose that your people genuinely believe in is to involve them in its creation.
Read the full blog post here to learn the 4 elements of a great purpose and how to implement them.
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