Purpose Built Companies Benefit Everyone

In this Guest article by John Morrissey, we explore the importance of having a business with Purpose. To see more of John’s work and strategic thinking, check out his LinkedIn profile.

Just How Purpose-Driven is Your Organisational Culture?

Organisations need purpose-driven cultures that deliver on ESG promises
Measurement is key to creating high-purpose organisational cultures
Determine where you can become more purpose-driven

When your organisation succeeds, does the world also flourish?

It’s a big question — and your answer will determine your organisation’s future.

People are choosing to share their resources with organisations that they are certain share their purpose.

Stakeholders want to see and feel that the organisations they purchase from and invest in are helping the world thrive through the products and services they purchase.Organisations must be good, with a business model that makes the world better.

To win today and exist tomorrow, leaders must rethink why their organisation exists and make purpose the core of their growth strategy.

Leaders are increasingly cognisant of the need to embrace a “net-positive” approach to business. In a visionary manifesto published by Harvard Business Review, Paul Polman and Andrew Winston describe a net-positive company as one that “improves wellbeing for everyone it impacts and at all scales — every product, every operation, every region and country, and for every stakeholder, including employees, suppliers, communities, customers, and even future generations and the planet itself.

To create belief in your organization, you need a purpose-driven culture.

How purpose-driven is your culture? If the following statements describe you, you’re well on your way. If not, now is the time to reflect on where you need to improve.

The purpose of our company makes every employee feel their job is important.
Our employees believe leadership is fully aligned on brand and culture priorities.
Our customers and employees would use the same words to describe who we are.
Our employees understand what makes us different from our competitors.
Customers know us for what we want to be known for.
Our employees are held accountable for living our purpose and values.
Our purpose and culture attract the best talent in the industry.
Our purpose and values are priority inputs in every leader’s decision-making.
Leadership communication is consistently focused on purpose and values.
Our managers are the best in the industry.
Managers are held accountable for coaching their team’s performance.
Purpose, brand and culture measures are infused in performance scorecards.

What Does a Purpose-Driven Culture Look Like?

In a purpose-driven culture, employees have a heartfelt sense of ownership for their purpose: Purpose energizes teams, informs their decisions and guides their day-to-day behavior. Employees know who they serve, what they serve and how to embody brand promises.

A purpose-driven culture makes money through its purpose: The better the organization does (i.e., the greater its market penetration), the better the world.

John Morrissey