Building Purpose into a Culture Relies on the Leader

I recently read an article a friend published on LinkedIn called “Why ‘Purpose’ Might Not Be the Answer (and What to Do Instead)” where he opened by saying “lofty purpose statements can feel abstract and disconnected from employees’ day-to-day tasks. Shared challenges, on the other hand, are specific and directly impact everyone’s work.” I think, at least as it relates to the vast majority of organizations, his point couldn’t be more accurate. And that really emphasizes the importance of defining what our purpose looks like; for ourselves, our entire organization, and each of our team members!

Think back to what I shared before about those fancy mission statements that looked and sounded profound, but had no real connection to what anyone in the company actually did. I see no difference whatsoever in what my friend wrote about a lofty purpose and the eloquently stated and framed missions and visions hanging on far too many corporate lobby walls. In each of these cases - with a mission, vision, values, or even purpose - the responsibility does indeed fall on the leader to craft a crystal-clear definition that can be exemplified and articulated during nearly every interaction we have with our teams!

Through a quick internet search, I found a blog on UseMotion.com called “The Poetry of Purpose: Inspiration Purpose Statement Examples” that shared the mission, values, and purpose statements behind those golden arches we all know as McDonald’s. If I’m being honest, I haven’t seen anything remotely resembling even a piece of what was listed in a long stinking time! There wasn’t a single word about the milkshake machine being broken, getting the wrong order in the drive thru, or cautioning me about eating their burgers since horses make me sneeze… While I’m (kinda) joking, I’d bet you’re tracking with me! I distinctly remember our last pit stop at one for a quick bite during a road trip where our only option for ordering was a kiosk that was less than cooperative while a few employees leaned against the wall and were visibly annoyed that they had to bag up our food once we finally got the order to process. So much their purpose being “to feed and foster communities” and their mission of “making delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.” I assure you that what we choked down was anything but delicious…

The blog went on to share various examples of purpose statements. Some were simple enough that even I could develop a reasonable understanding of what they likely meant and some certainly fell into that “lofty, abstract, and disconnected” category my friend referenced. Regardless of what words we choose though, the leader touting them must have clarity around them personally and be able to provide a detailed understanding of what the behaviors necessary to back them look like to everyone involved for the purpose to become part of the culture. And to be able to do that, we’ll need to become effective at painting a picture of exactly how those behaviors tie in with each statement we want our team to rally around - so we’ll pick up there soon.