Your organization’s purpose can be a slogan that gets slapped on a T-shirt, put on flags at the entrance of your organization or it can be an effective north star to guide your employees.
But there are three pitfalls that sink even the most well-intended purpose efforts.
1. A lack of clear metrics
The first mistake is not having clear metrics to help you track whether you’re actually fulfilling your overall goal. As you set out to achieve a big-picture purpose, identify at least one simple metric, even if it’s an imperfect measure, that will keep your team’s work in check.
2. Failure to infuse purpose into the sales function
The second pitfall is a failure to reinforce purpose with your sales team. When the pressure to hit revenue targets intensifies, it’s easy to let a high-minded mission fall by the wayside. Make sure everyone in sales knows that delivering on organizational purpose is as crucial as hitting financial targets.
3. Missing the opportunity to activate purpose in your employees
The last mistake is missing the opportunity to inspire your employees. Make the purpose real for people by asking them some key questions:
- How does our work make a difference?
- How do we positively impact our clients, our team, and our community?
- What role do you play in delivering on our purpose? Encouraging people to identify their own connection to your purpose (versus telling them what it ought to be) will help you turn a corporate mantra into personal motivation.
This tip is adapted from “3 Mistakes That Stymie Corporate Purpose Initiatives,” by Lisa Earle McLeod
Human Centric Solutions 