The Purpose Effect summary

Aligning purpose isn’t always easy. But the consequences of a lack of purpose can cause ongoing friction in the workplace that impacts performance on all levels.

If you’re unsure whether or not your organization suffers from misaligned – or a lack of – purpose, there are five signs you can look for. When there’s a mismatch between an organization and the people within it, you’ll notice disputes over remuneration, profit, role, power, and performance. Let’s take a closer look at why.

Personal purpose is a journey that drives how satisfied someone is with their life and job. There are three ways that someone on this journey can discover their own personal purpose. We’re going to look at each of these in three stages in turn. However, you and your team members might return to different stages at different times, as you change and grow. 

First, personal purpose begins with continuous development. Team members should ask themselves, “What am I doing to evolve myself?” Seeking new experiences, knowledge, and skills expands one's potential. Leaders must nurture curiosity and growth mindsets in their teams to support the pursuit of personal purpose.

Organizational purpose should go beyond profits to create value for all stakeholders. To design an organizational purpose, you can use the DEEDS model. DEEDS is an acronym that stands for: Delight, Engagement, Ethics, Delivery, and Service. Let’s look at each aspect of it now.

Delight your customers by promoting worthwhile products and services that improve lives. Companies like IKEA put delighting the customer first, while also engaging employees around their mission to “create a better everyday life.” 

There are three main mindsets people adopt at work: job, career, and purpose. 

In the job mindset, work is just a paycheck. This can be fine temporarily, but chronic job mindset breeds disengagement. While every job involves a few unrewarding tasks, ensure that this mindset doesn't become permanent due to misalignment between your purpose and the organization's.

Reaching the sweet spot where personal, organizational, and role purpose align requires continuous effort as our sense of purpose evolves. Personal purpose must be the top priority, nourished through constant development, self-reflection, and living one's values daily.

To support your development of it, begin by writing a personal “declaration of purpose.” This is a succinct statement of who you are, what you represent, and how you’ll operate each day. This touchstone provides direction when purpose shifts. Update it as you grow.