The organization knows and lives its purpose; it knows what it stands for and is true to its beliefs. Which of these statements most accurately reflects the current level of purpose in your company?
- Our purpose is not clear.
- Our purpose is somewhat clear.
- Our purpose is clear but we do not know what the organization stands for.
- Our purpose is clear and we know what we stand for but it is not consistently communicated.
- Our purpose is clear, we know what we stand for, everyone knows and understands it and it is consistently communicated
How can your business make a difference?
When you began your business, you had a picture of what you wanted to accomplish – a plan or purpose that you hoped to achieve through your work. And there was something in that picture that went beyond the idea of making money. You wanted to “make a difference.”
But as your company has grown, it’s possible that the picture you envisioned of your destination has become less clear, overshadowed by the day-to-day details of a business. You’re working hard. Your employees are working hard. You know the potential is there to do more, to climb higher, to work smarter, but you’re just not sure how.
You recognize all the telltale signs that you’re stalled—sales are less than projected or sluggish; managers and departments seem to be struggling to get on the same page; response or turnaround times are slow; on some level things just feel out of sync.
When your company is in a slump, has reached a plateau, gotten stalled, lost its edge or whatever description you use, it’s likely that you’re out of touch with your purpose. This is the inspirational driving force, the energy and enthusiasm that first got your business rolling. And it’s an essential fundamental to keep your business rolling and growing.
What is the purpose of your business?
Your purpose is not a mission or vision statement. Mission statements describe the type of business you’re in and possibly define your audience. Vision statements are about where your company wants to be in the future.
Purpose includes the core values and beliefs that are the unchanging principles, ideas and philosophies that guide your decisions. They serve to create a particular culture and environment within a company and include things like belief in diversity, fair and equal treatment of employees, a commitment to honesty and integrity, ensuring a safe and supportive work environment, contributing to your local community and the like.
Your “Why” is another term used to describe the compelling reason behind your actions. A company’s “Why” is a demonstration of who it is and what it stands for—its values and beliefs put into action.
Purpose integrates what a company values and believes in with why it’s in business and describes them in terms of the heart as well as the mind. Purpose is the beneficial something more that a company delivers that adds significant value to whatever it sells.
Want to discover your purpose?
Discover your purpose and how to communicate it with BrandintheBox®. BrandintheBox® is a bi-monthly subscription brand kit developed by TwinEngine to grow your brand and business by empowering your team through actionable tools and guides. You may have a solid business strategy and plan, an excellent product or service, talented and dedicated employees and a rockstar sales and marketing team—you may be doing all these things right—but if you don’t stand out, you lose. BrandintheBox® offers a clear and structured approach to mastering how to stand out, be remembered, and become a trusted and preferred choice of customers and prospects. BrandintheBox® does this by focusing on the eight fundamental areas of a brand: purpose, reputation, visuality, authenticity, ideal leads, distinction, strategy and mindset.