By: Kyle Armstrong, HR Coordinator
This idea that we all have a unique purpose and entered this world for a reason is very accurate. But abiding by these cliché’s is not an easy task. A question that all of us should ask ourselves more frequently is “why do we do what we do?” In today’s climate, it is easy to fall into a routine that resembles that of a robot…waking up to an alarm that we do not want to hear, stumbling to our Monday to Friday 9-5 jobs, spending our evenings being glad that we are no longer in the office, and repeating. The harsh truth is that although we were placed into this world for a reason, the reason was not to spend five days of the week looking forward to Saturday and Sunday. How can we break free of this mindset? How can we capitalize on all waking hours? And how can we support our teams in finding their unique purpose?
Tip #1: Call on Company Mission Statement
The core direction in which an organization takes to deliver the service can be uncovered in the company mission statement. A mission statement encompasses the values deemed important to the organization. Oftentimes, there is a noticeable disconnect between a company’s mission statement and an individual employee. Employees at times lose sight of the mission of their organization, which contributes to them finding themselves in this ‘robot’ state of mind. After all, if you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing in your job every day, or what the end result is, how can you expect to feel a sense of fulfillment? Leaders need to constantly communicate with stories examples of a company’s mission statement and values. Leaders need to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to their mission statement, as this dominos into other employees being reminded of their purpose, and a feeling of fulfillment when they know how they are contributing to a bigger picture. The Harvard Business Review supports the aforementioned phenomenon, adding that “a higher purpose is not about economic exchanges. It reflects something more aspirational. It explains how the people involved with an organization are making a difference, gives them a sense of meaning, and draws their support”.
Tip #2: Ignite Purpose in New Hires
For an employee to resonate closely with their company’s mission, it is essential that the onboarding process it be clearly articulated what exactly the company mission is, why it is, and how it can be sustained. If the time is not taken at the beginning of an employee’s journey with an organization to understand why the company exists and how their role contributes to the bigger picture, it will be much harder to do so later. Those responsible for onboarding new hires ideally can speak to the company story well and allow new hires to hear these stories from multiple perspectives and allow them to ask questions. Otherwise, the employee will leave, so there is precious time to ignite purpose in new hires.
Tip #3: Tap Into Professional Coaching Services
Another effective way to explore your purpose, discuss ideas, set personal/professional goals, and hold yourself accountable to them, is through coaching. Coaching sessions are a great way to reflect on your purpose, career plans, and alignment with an organization’s purpose, mission, and values. Coaching sessions provide space to critically reflect, imagine what your future could look like, and brainstorm ways to achieve a higher purpose.
To conclude, the pandemic has made it even more difficult for employees to remain in touch with their purpose. There is a lot of pressure on organizations with return-to-office on the horizon to make up for this lost time over the past year and re-establish their longer-term vision and purpose. Strategies such as the one outlined by Harvard Business Review are very important to consider. Using your organization’s mission statement and working down the organizational hierarchy to ensure each level of employee is intact with the statement is invaluable. Not only will this help employees establish their purpose, but it will also ultimately lead to a more productive workforce.
PowerUp Leadership specializes in multiplying your leaders to grow your business. To schedule a free consultation with CEO & Founder, Susan Power, and discuss how PowerUp leadership can assist your organization in ensuring that all employees find their higher purpose, please click here.