OVERVIEW

The Purpose and Vision of an Organisation becomes your defining characteristic. It becomes a core part of the identity and the reason for being. The Purpose gives people meaning and a reason to get out of bed and to stay motivated. The Purpose is the organisation’s ‘why’, and the Vision is an extension of this ‘why’. The Vision is the way in which the ‘why’/the purpose will come to life. The vision plays a key role in creating motivation for people in the organisation. Without a Purpose and a Vision to believe in, how can we become fully motivated and engaged in our work? Of course, we may still get commitment from people in terms of turning up to work, however there will be a feeling of compromise rather than the whole-hearted emotional commitment , the type of commitment which leads to full engagement. We know from years of research that a high engagement is correlated with high productivity and performance. Therefore, having a clear Purpose and Vision is not just important for the organisations business case; it is also creating the bedrock of engagement across the organisation.

If you look at the world, what most people are looking for in their lives is a sense of meaning and purpose. For a business, it's a non-negotiable. Are you ready to walk your why?

Purpose is an essential strategic tool for cutting through distractions and getting the job done. Remember, when you say yes to something you say no to something else. It's easier to waste time when you don't know what your "why" is

Our WHY is the purpose, the cause, or the belief that drives every organisation and every person’s individual career.

WHY does your company exist? WHY did you get out of bed this morning? And WHY should anyone care? Your WHY is what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s your purpose. It’s what inspires you to take action. Your WHY is also what inspires others to take action, spread your ideas, or buy your products.

We will use tools and techniques to ensure that you can develop the detail behind the Purpose and Vision you are seeking to build. The detail and the specificity of the Vision is so vital as this is what will bring it all alive. Without the detail the tasks remain vague. The ‘why’ will give the underlying rationale and the reason that makes you stand out. Simon Sinek in his book “Start with why” quotes Apple and says their ‘Why’ is not to build computers, their ‘why’ is to “Challenge the status quo”; they just happen to make computers. He argues that “A failure to communicate WHY creates nothing but stress or doubt.” Sinek argues that the 'why' is what attracts people to our products or services and is the reason people buy from us. If your customers can connect with your core purpose, then that will be a key reason they connect with you. We naturally are attracted to people who share our core values and beliefs.

Often the reason people buy from a particular shop is not the actual products, but their philosophy. For example, you may prefer to go to the more ethical Coop where you have some control of where the products are sourced, than to a shop where you have no idea. The quality of the food may be no different , but the difference which creates the buying power is the ethics. Another person may not care as much about the ethics and be completely focused just on the quality of the ingredients. So, our personal beliefs, values and priorities will dictate which supermarket we go to or which brand computer or phone we buy.

There are recognisable characteristics in great leaders and simple strategies anyone can adopt to improve employee performance and change the work environment for the better. Establishing a carefully planned and documented vision with your direct reports defines goals for the group and creates a personal ownership for every individual. Involving your staff in a collaborative process cultivates buy-in and general acceptance.