1.5 - About University

N ESTEDPURPOSESA specific purpose keeps a workgroup or team in touch with the larger organizational purpose.Each purpose should be aligned and nested within a larger purpose.OrganizationalPurposeWorkgroupPurposeProject PurposeH OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL“The conviction that life has a purpose is rooted in every fiber of man, it is property of the humansubstance. Free men give many names to this purpose, and many think and talk about its nature.”—Primo LeviUse this tool to write a purpose statement for your organization, for your workgroup or team,for a specific project or project team, for a decision, or for a personal or life issue.WEB WORKSHEETTwo steps are important in developing a purpose statement:Step 1: Determine why you need a purpose statement. Discuss the need for a clear purpose statement(i.e., the purpose of a purpose statement). Work with your group to discover and definewhy it needs a clear purpose statement. Outline the pitfalls of not having a clear purpose statement.Don’t skip this step. It’s important for people to understand why they are spending timedefining and writing a purpose statement.Briefly summarize why you and your group think that it is important to have a purpose statement.Step 2: Commit to implementing your purpose statement. Use whichever of these three scenariosbest suits your unique situation.A. If you have a purpose statement already drafted, stay open to improvement. Presentit as a draft, and seek input from all workgroup or team members. Commitment to a60 SECTION 2 TOOLS FOR BIG-PICTURE THINKING