Everyone needs a purpose in life and, as it turns out, in the workplace. According to the Limeade Institute, 97% of employees who have a sense of purpose are “engaged at work” compared to 55% who don’t feel connected to the work they do. To put it another way, employees are more focused on the task at hand and, therefore, more productive when they have a sense of purpose.
Cristian Grossmann, CEO and co-founder of Beekeeper, echoes this idea. Picking up on the idea that employee experiences affect workplace productivity, he listed 12 ways to create a sense of purpose based on his time running Beekeeper. Among his most poignant points were the following…
Establish a Why
Grossmann believes that too many companies focus on what they’re doing and how they’re doing it but fail to consider their why. Author of Start with Why, Simon Sinek, agrees. Both men argue that defining why a company exists is the foundation of purpose. Leaders who can communicate the reasons why a company exists to their employees create a sense of purpose. The “why” becomes a focal point for everyone.
Responsibilities and Alignment
Every member of a team needs a role that aligns with their desires and talents. Indeed, it’s not the lack of responsibility that affects an employee’s sense of purpose; it’s a misalignment between their responsibilities and talents. For example, if someone joins a company’s marketing team and has to do admin tasks all day, their sense of purpose is going to wane because the responsibilities don’t match their interests or skills.
Similarly, if someone is a developer for an online provider of games, they want to focus on embracing current trends and developing new products. They don’t necessarily care about writing game guides, marketing material or implementing website features such as one-touch search buttons. Again, it comes down to matching a person’s interests, skills and talents with their responsibilities.
Variety and Flexibility
Variety is crucial in every aspect of life. Even when you make sure an employee’s responsibilities align with their interests, people can get bored doing the same thing over and over again. That’s why there needs to be a degree of flexibility within a role. For example, let’s say you employ someone in the marketing department of your car manufacturing company. Their initial role is to manage TV, print and radio advertising campaigns.
Over time, you notice that they’re not as engaged as they were. This could be down to a sense of fatigue or the fact traditional marketing mediums, such as TV, aren’t as vibrant as they once were. To reignite that employee’s sense of purpose, you could ask them to focus on social media advertising campaigns. Switching their focus within the same area keeps them within their field of expertise but gives them a new challenge and, therefore, a sense of purpose.
Progression and Potential
No one wants to feel like their potential is being stifled or that they’re lacking opportunities. Purpose is as much about what’s happening in the present as what might happen in the future. The more opportunities someone has to grow within an organisation, the more they’re likely to be engaged.
Indeed, when someone has a goal, they’re more likely to work towards it. A common example from everyday life is weight loss. Studies show that setting targets leads to great long-term weight loss. These targets need to be realistic, but the overarching point is that targets focus the mind. A focused mind is more engaged with the task at hand because they have a goal.
Business leaders can use the same concept to foster a sense of purpose among their employees. Making sure people understand their why, have clearly defined responsibilities and know the direction their heading is how you give them a purpose. Things don’t remain static. Goals and responsibilities need to change over time. However, if you can implement these ideas, you’re more likely to have an engaged, productive and purposeful workforce.
