Purpose is the game of champions, and subservience to purpose is a proven path to success

Where organisations are struggling to succeed, or survive, or just to run harmoniously, there is often an absence of purpose.

Most of these organisations have a great vision, mission and strategic plan, but lack the spark to pull it all together.

In his book, Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies, Nikos Mourkogiannis records that “…purpose – not money, not status – is what people most want from work. Make no mistake: they want compensation; some want an ego- affirming title. Even more, though, they want their lives to mean something, they want their lives to have a reason”.

You can’t find much fault with that!

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Business after COVID-19 – Press Reset and Focus on Your Purpose

As the world reopens after the COVID-19 lockdowns, you might be considering how to rebuild your business. To focus your thinking ask five questions.

  1. If there was only one thing you could do to re-establish/grow/improve your business, what would it be and how would you make it happen?
  2. If there was only one thing you could focus on to improve your own personal performance, what would that be and how would you make it happen?
  3. What market signals or messages are you not listening to or not confronting and how will you respond to them?
  4. What three things are going right for the business and how can you capitalise on these?
  5. What is the purpose of your business? Do your answers to the first four questions support that purpose?

Spence and Rushing argue that believing deeply in your purpose is the way to build and nurture your business. Look at every decision, big and small did you make and ask whether or not it will support or subvert your core purpose. Focus on purpose, and keep in mind why you are in business and profits will follow. Keep in mind what you are fighting for.

Spence R M and Rushing H (2011) It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose.  Portfolio Trade ISBN-10: 1591844479 See Page 295