Audio Transcript
The Potential Code: Element 2 - Purpose
Back in the height of the Space Race, President Kennedy visited NASA and asked an off-duty janitor what he did. The janitor famously replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.”
That’s the power of purpose.
And moving the degree of purposefulness in your organization from let’s say ‘moderately purpose-driven’ to ‘very purpose-driven’ could increase your EBITDA by as much as 12-16%.
But it even goes beyond that. In fact, Korn Ferry’s POTENTIAL CODE identified a host of advantages to fostering a strong purpose within your organization.
For example...
It can galvanize your teams. So, say your teams get behind a common goal, having a strong purpose helps to unlock their, let’s call it, discretionary energy, or that desire to go above and beyond to see the company get ahead.
Having a strong purpose can give work more meaning. Basically, being part of something bigger makes people feel happier and in more control of their own lives. Individuals who find meaning and purpose in their work...get more out of it personally. And not surprisingly, when they see other colleagues feeling the same way, it also boosts camaraderie.
Having a strong purpose can help establish a standard of excellence because a clear purpose gives teams something to measure themselves against.
It creates a common language. In other words, when everyone in the organization is using purpose as their starting point, there aren’t as many misunderstandings...debates become a lot easier...as does incorporating opposing views...all of which leads to more collaboration when generating solutions.
Having a strong purpose also fosters perseverance. Look, without a clear and strong purpose, it’s easy for people within the organization to get caught up in the crises of the day and lose sight of where they’re heading.
But a clear and compelling purpose helps teams stay focused on the long game—making them more hopeful, optimistic and resilient and setting them up to reach their full potential.
