Find Your “Why” (Defining Purpose)

Purpose. Seems simple enough. 

You are probably thinking things like:

• We manufacture the best auto parts

• We prepare the best Italian food in our town

• We offer dance lessons to people of all skills

While not incorrect statements, these are “what you do” not “why you do”.  

Let’s think about these same scenarios with a lens of “why you do”: 

• We save lives (by innovation and quality in the manufacturing of auto parts)

• We honor family ties (with a welcoming, casual meeting place in town serving Italian food)

• We strive for student fulfillment (with a happy, fun dance learning environment for all people)

When you clearly state a purpose that has emotion and a connection to people, it will resonate with your associates and your customers. Who would not want to work for you or do business with you with statements like these!?

We consider people to be the growth engine of a business. “Gallup research shows that just a 10% improvement in employees' connection with the mission or purpose of their organization leads to an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profitability.”

The Society of Human Resource Managers reinforces that your purpose must sound authentic to your stakeholders, be within reach (a stretch is ok!) of your organization and be monitored with metrics to celebrate success or adjust for continuous improvement by all. 

Beyond Next Level is available to listen to your story and help you to create and clarify the purpose of your organization.