How ready are you and your organization to pursue a purpose?

Purpose is a topic that is finding its way into the conversations of more and more executive teams. Most generally agree that embracing a purpose is a good thing. Yet, there is hesitation. Some may not know what to commit to the effort since the outcome of pursuing an initiative can be challenging to quantify. There are plenty of studies of purpose-led organizations that have seen the boons, reporting increases in everything from team member engagement to growth in revenue.

I have felt this hesitation with organizations that have engaged me. When this happens, I have a bit of counsel that tends to surprise them. I recommend that leaders should examine whether or not it's even worth pursuing a purpose for their organization before they get into the weeds of funding an effort.

That can stir the defensiveness in some. But it's not meant to challenge their worthiness as an organization to pursue a purpose. Rather, it's meant to help them gauge their readiness.

Here are three exercises I recommend to leaders to help them understand that readiness.

Personal purpose

One of the things any leader can do is examine her or his personal purpose (as opposed to the organization's purpose). Any individual can use the same framework that I have developed for organizations. Check out this post for guidance on clarifying your personal purpose.

Going through this exercise brings clarity to the things that are important and motivating to you. That knowledge helps you begin to understand what you will expect from the organization. And it will allow you to do an initial evaluation to determine if the organization has the potential to align with your personal purpose.

Know your most important goals

I want you to list the 10 goals you have for the company with you as the leader (or one of the leaders). List the 10 things you want to help accomplish.

Got that list? Now cut it down to three. Yes, it's tough. But do it. Choose the three most important things.

Now, look at those three. Are they all operationally driven? In other words, do they detail things like "increase revenue by X over the next 10 years"? Or is there something in there that has a bit more lofty feel to it? Dove wants to change the way we define beauty so that beauty becomes a source of confidence and not anxiety. That's a big challenge. One that can make a real and lasting difference for people. Look at your top three goals. Is there a theme in there? Do they point to a larger idea or ideas?

Identify these larger ideas and they can help lead you toward the purpose that your organization could embrace.

Give it the acid test

Once you have started to sketch out those larger ideas, take the one that is most exciting to you and give it the acid test by asking this one question:

What is the profound difference this will make for one human being?

Oftentimes, we think of a purpose as a lofty ideal. But the most powerful ones are those where you can see the impact it will have on just one life.

Imagine a person that will be served by this purpose. Maybe it is a friend of yours. Maybe it is an amalgam of people you know. If it gets you excited thinking about how it can impact a life, then it has real merit.

These three exercises will help you and the team begin to feel the value that a clarified purpose could bring to the organization. They will also help you and your team gauge your readiness. That can be invaluable in helping you move your purpose clarification effort forward.