According to a recent article in CEO Magazine “purpose drives individuals and organizations toward meaningful goals.” Therefore, as leaders, we need to engage with purpose with our teams to achieve better results.
Organizations today require a clear purpose. So, clarifying purpose creates greater understanding and engagement; increases productivity and effective behaviour; and delivers enhanced results.
If purpose is not clear, individuals disengage and are likely to leave feeling “that was a waste of time.” Listed below are examples of purpose in organizations.
Sharing information
- Clarifying the vision or strategy
- Updating results
- Providing insights or background information
- Stating expectations or giving feedback
- Training
Building relationships
A big part of leadership is building trust, because it takes time to get to know someone or a team, and time to let them get to know you. Important ways to build trust include:
- Keeping commitments
- Listening to people
- Being honest
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Taking responsibility for mistakes
Decision-making
It is critical to ensure that people understand the “why” and the overall purpose of a decision. Then, involve individuals in a collaborative manner in decisions that affect them. This does not mean that decisions must be by consensus, but understanding and involvement in the process adds value. Ultimately, the leader makes the decision but greater support will be achieved if high trust exists.
Agreeing upon expectations
Be very clear about what is expected from an individual or a team and achieve agreement on the outcome. Then, be sure to follow up.
Problem-solving
Purpose must be defined in order to clearly define an issue, work through it and develop a creative solution.
Developing or educating team members
Developing the team through learning new skills increases effectiveness. Spend time before you share the knowledge to clarify the purpose of the training.
Be inspirational
Purpose can help us to feel motivated, engaged and enthusiastic.
Provide coaching
Leaders and participants must understand the purpose of coaching if it is to be effective. So, find out how individuals are doing or feeling. Then, celebrate what is working well, provide guidance and support about how to move forward, and ensure goals are created and worked on.
Be clear on your purpose.