Test your knowledge on unleashing the power of purpose
There is not a lot of guidance out there when it comes to the process behind purpose. After working for years with organizations, I documented what I discovered in the book Big Audacious Meaning – Unleashing Your Purpose-Driven Story.
Based on insight from the book, here is a short quiz on what it takes to unleash the power of purpose.
Question 1: Your organization’s purpose is:
Something the organization invents
Something the organization clarifies
Something developed by the leadership team
Question 2: When it comes to getting to your purpose, it is best to look:
At inflection points in the organization’s history
At the mission statement
At the CEO’s wife’s Facebook page
Question 3: An organization’s purpose lies at the intersection between:
Your brand promise, your organizational mantra, and your rallying cry
Your mission, vision, and values
What you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and the difference you could make in the world
Answers
Question 1: Your organization’s purpose is:
The answer is 2 - Something the organization clarifies. Your purpose or Big Audacious Meaning is not something you or the leadership team invents. It is something that already exists within the organization. It may not be formally stated anywhere. It may simply be a philosophy or belief that the founder had.
Sometimes organizations try to capture that belief in the mission statement. But the mission statement is an inward-focused declaration covering what you will do to accomplish your vision. As such, organizations end up doing a lot of talking about themselves in mission statements (there’s more on this in the book).
Your purpose is outward-facing. It helps you clarify the difference you will make in a life, a community, or even the world. This outward focus is what makes it powerful.
The key to embracing your Big Audacious Meaning is to dedicate yourself to a process of uncovering and clarifying your purpose.
Question 2: When it comes to getting to your purpose, it is best to look:
The answer is 1: At inflection points in the organization’s history. Purpose forms at an organization’s inflection points.
The first inflection point is at the beginning. I have talked with a lot of founders. One thing they all have in common is that, when they started their organizations, they held a belief in what they were doing that went beyond simply making money.
Examining that original belief will help you clarify the organization’s purpose.
The next inflection point is at some major turning point for the organization. I was working with a century-old international organization that had hired a new CEO and was going through the process of redefining who they were across many fronts. The organization had changed a lot over the decades. The beliefs of the original founders were no longer drivers of the organization. This was the perfect time to examine how the organization’s beliefs had evolved. And to clarify the purpose it hoped to embrace today.
Question 3: An organization’s purpose lies at the intersection between:
The answer is 3: What you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and the difference you could make in the world.
As you go through the process of clarifying your purpose, you must define these three areas. But more than that, your answers must be in harmony with each other. For example, if what you’re good at is not what you’re passionate about, you need to rethink your answers.
Some organizations look to their vision, mission, and values to help guide their purpose clarification. While these do provide some insight, they only provide limited help because, as mentioned before, they are inward-facing. To get to that deep and meaningful purpose you must look for the intersection between what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and the difference you could make in the world. That last one is especially important because it orients you toward the impact you can have in a life, a community, or the world. And that is the very definition of a Big Audacious Meaning.