Why purpose matters
When it comes to business, finding your guiding WHY is powerful.
When you can lock down the "why" of your business, brand or product then it becomes easier to clarify the value of what you provide to customers, beyond the tangible services and products you sell. It makes creating content and sales materials a cinch. The bigger bonus is that it unites teams and motivates staff and customers alike.
Some call it purpose, some call it vision, but whatever it calls, it will form the foundation for a strong message to market.
Purpose is vague and hard to define, which is why it’s so powerful. You can craft a meaningful statement yourself. Author Carolyn Tate says there are 13 key ingredients to a good guiding purpose statement:
Your statement says what you do, not just why you do it.
It contains three components; a verb; an intention; and an outcome or beneficiary.
It’s inspirational and motivational. Employees know why they’re turning up to work every day.
It’s practical and actionable. Employees know what they’re meant to be doing at work.
It’s never achieved, yet remains both the guiding north-star and the glue.
It’s the guide for decision-making and the foundation on which strategy is built.
It’s sincere and authentic and written straight, not necessarily great.
It’s co-created and co-owned by everyone, not just the ad agency or executive team.
It’s applicable and motivational to every stakeholder, not just employees or customers.
Every word has earned its right to be in the statement.
It contains between 6 and 20 words and no more.
Everyone knows it, can state it and is proud of it.
People know how to act on it and can tell stories on how it’s brought to life in the company.
The Purpose Project book can be purchased through www.carolyntate.co
And here’s 10 great purpose statements:
KeepCup: To kickstart the demise of the disposable cup.
Interface: To become fully sustainable with zero negative impact by 2020.
Patagonia: To build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
Templestowe College: To help students take control of their own learning.
Etsy: To reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.
Atlassian: To unleash the power in every team.
Safety Culture: To make safety available to every worker in the world.
ThoughtWorks: To better humanity through software and help drive the creation of a socially and economically just world.
GetUp!: To give every-day Australians the chance to make extraordinary impact – online, across the airwaves, and in the streets.
1 Million Women: To build a movement of strong, inspirational women and girls acting on climate change through the way we live.