Helping people find purpose at work
Excerpts from McKinsey Quarterly 1. Start with the organization’s purpose (hint: the only thing you control directly) I t may seem counterintuitive to look first to the organization’s purpose in hopes of supporting the life purpose of your employees, but remember: this part you control. Does your company meaningfully consider its role in society? Do senior executives use the company’s purpose as a North Star to make difficult decisions and trade-offs? If your company’s purpose is just a poster on the wall, you’re wasting everyone’s time . If you talk about purpose but don’t follow through, the results can be devastatingly bad. If you aren’t sure your leaders are following through, start checking. Some companies use internal scorecards to track the commitment of leaders, employees, and other stakeholders to organizational purpose. Routine measurement helps leaders encourage buy-in, spot problems early, and take appropriate action. A few companies go further and embed purpose metrics