The Core Purpose of your Organization

The Core Purpose of your Organization

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The Core Purpose of your Organization

The Core Purpose of your organization gives ‘heart’ to your company. It answers the question “WHY are we in business”. And the answer is more than that of making money.

As a business owner or executive, you should ask yourself: Why does what we do matter? What difference are we making in this world? Why would our customers miss us if we weren’t around? The answers to these questions will indicate the Core Purpose of your business.

What, How, Why?

Simon Sinek helps us to understand the concept of the Core Purpose of your business.

  • What?
    • Every organization knows WHAT they do. These are the products they sell or the services they render.
  • How?
    • Some companies know HOW they do it. These are the things that make you different or stand out from the crowd.
  • Why?
    • Very few organizations can clearly articulate WHY they do what they do. WHY is not about making money. That’s a result. WHY is a purpose, cause, or belief. It’s the very reason your company exists.

What impact does the Core Purpose of your organization have on your employees?

When employees are disengaged and underperforming, the reaction of many managers is to try new incentives and increase control. Yet often nothing improves. Why? Because the assumption behind such (conventional) approaches is that work is fundamentally contractual.  And that assumption results in employees doing just what is needed to earn a reward or meet a standard, and nothing more.

But there is another way:  Gather your employees behind an authentic Core Purpose – a statement that

  • explains how employees are making a difference, and
  • gives them a sense of meaning.

Allow the Core Purpose to infiltrate business strategy and decision making.

This will result in

  • Positive peer pressure,
  • Re-energized employees,
  • Increased collaboration,
  • Accelerated learning, and
  • Performance will climb.

If you ignite and capture the hearts of your employees with the Core Purpose of your company, they will pour their enthusiasm and energy into the organization.

Where does the Core Purpose of your organization fit into the OPSP?

Together with the Value and Competencies, the Purpose of the organization forms the core of the company. It is often compared to how our lower-back muscles, oblique muscles, and abdominal muscles for the core of our bodies.

Verne Harnish (in his book Scaling Up) warns that without a strong core, the company risks instability from challenges, loss of focus, disengagement, and lack of heart as it scales up.

CoLAB, Core Purpose and the One-Page Strategic Plan

At CoLAB, we have a series of half-day workshops to help you discover and implement the Core Purpose, Core Values and Core Competencies of your organization.  It can be done online or in person (if logistically possible).  Connect with us – it would be a privilege to engage with you.  Send an email to ingrid at trustcolab dot com, or book a 20-minute, obligation-free call with Barend HERE.

Our CEO, Barend Cronjé, talks more about Core Purpose HERE.

To get access to our Profit Improvement Framework, click HERE.

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