“Remember, the corporate purpose is not a mysterious artifact to be rediscovered every fiscal year; it's more like the office coffee machine – essential, omnipresent, and desperately missed if it's not working.”
In today's fast-paced corporate environment, it's easy for companies to become so entangled in the daily grind that their overarching purpose becomes a distant memory. This drift affects the organization’s strategic direction and can dampen employee motivation and engagement.
To ensure that your corporate purpose remains at the forefront, connecting everyday tasks to the broader vision is vital, redefining success metrics beyond financial targets, and celebrating the impact beyond the organization’s walls is vital. Here are some insights and action items to help maintain the alignment between daily operations and your corporate purpose:
Express the Widespread Impact of Their Work
Make the Connection Clear: Employees need to see how their work contributes to the bigger picture. Regularly communicate how individual roles and projects tie back to the company's purpose. For instance, in team meetings, discuss how specific tasks are crucial in achieving the organization’s broader goals. This creates a sense of belonging and purpose in the workforce.
Storytelling as a Tool: Share success stories within the organization that highlight the impact of collective efforts. This could be through internal newsletters, meetings, or informal chats. When employees hear about how their work has positively affected a client or contributed to a community initiative, it instills a sense of pride and reinforces the importance of their role in the larger corporate narrative.
Redefine Criteria for Reporting Success
Beyond Financial Metrics: While financial targets are essential, they shouldn't be the sole measure of success. Introduce metrics that reflect customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, and contribution to community initiatives. These alternative success measures can offer a more holistic view of the company's performance and alignment with its purpose.
Employee Feedback Systems: Implement systems where employees can provide feedback on how well they think the company is adhering to its purpose. This can be through surveys, suggestion boxes, or regular check-ins. Such feedback can be invaluable in understanding how employees perceive the company's alignment with its purpose and what actions might be necessary to improve it.
Acknowledge Their Influence Beyond the Company
Highlight Community Engagement: Celebrate the company’s involvement in community projects or social initiatives. This could be through showcasing these activities in internal communications or dedicating a day for employees to participate in community service. Acknowledging these efforts helps reinforce the message that the company's purpose extends beyond just making profits.
Customer Stories: Share stories of how your products or services have positively impacted customers. This not only boosts morale but also strengthens the connection between employees' day-to-day work and the positive outcomes it generates for others.
Take Action:
Regular Check-Ins: Schedule monthly or quarterly meetings focused solely on discussing the company's purpose and how current projects align with it. This ensures continuous alignment and provides a platform for addressing any drifts from the core purpose.
Recognition Programs: Implement recognition programs that reward employees not just for meeting targets but also for actions that embody the company's purpose. This could include innovation, exceptional customer service, or contributions to team morale.
Onboarding Integration: Make the company’s purpose a central part of the onboarding process for new employees. This sets the tone from the outset that the company is committed to its purpose and expects the same level of commitment from its employees.
Leadership Development: Train leaders and managers to consistently communicate and demonstrate the company’s purpose in their leadership style. When leaders exemplify the company’s purpose, it encourages employees to follow suit.
By implementing these strategies and action items, companies can ensure that their purpose remains a guiding force, inspiring and motivating employees to contribute to a vision that extends beyond the walls of the organization.