1.5 - About University

2.6C LARIFYING P URPOSE: HARNESSING P EOPLEP OWER IN O RGANIZATIONSInspired by John Jones, Patricia Jones, Larry Kahaner, and numerous other sources.Creation of meaning or purpose is what distinguishes leadership from management. People wantmeaning in their work lives. They want to know why: to what end and for what purpose theyare working so hard. History shows us people will do almost anything for leaders who lead peopleby defining an engaging purpose. In the process of clarifying purpose, leaders help peoplegrow, expand their thinking, and become contributors to new initiatives. In their book, Builtto Last, about companies that outperformed the stock market by 50 to 1 over the last 50 years,Collins and Porras identified as the number-one factor “an enduring sense of purpose.”Alternatively, when change fails, it’s invariably because people can’t see the purpose, the why,underlying the change, and thus cannot meaningfully commit themselves to supporting thenew initiative.W HAT IS A PURPOSE?• A purpose is a reason for being—why this organization, unit, or project exists.• A purpose statement is a high-level description of the direction and value of your activitiesto your clients or customers, to your workgroup or organization, and to yourself.• Purpose clearly and concisely answers the question: “How does this proposed unit or activityadd value for our customers, our stakeholders, and our organization?”• Similar terms used are: rationale, mission, overall goal, direction, vision, scope, intent,strategy, wavelength, big picture, meaning, or why.✔✔W HY IS PURPOSE IMPORTANT?A clear purpose helps keep a workgroup committed, on track, and on schedule. Anyonein the group should be able to tell anyone else the why of any activity.A clear purpose reduces frustration, and the potential for conflict, by aligning membersof a workgroup around a reason for being.❑❑❑❑C HARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE PURPOSE STATEMENTIt motivates aligned action.It is well-understood and concise. It can be explained to any stakeholder in three minutesor less, and every member of the organization has a personal understanding of theorganization’s purpose.It guides plans, decisions, and activities in the face of ambiguity.It is enduring. Thus, modifying a purpose statement signifies a new direction.SECTION 2 TOOLS FOR BIG-PICTURE THINKING 59