Sense of purpose within your company means the motivation that drives you towards a better future, as an employee. Purpose is something we do or something we can create and not something we buy or inherit. Purpose could be in any direction we are heading in with some degree of intention It also helps you to get the most from the hard work you put in. This sense of purpose enables employees to have a personal hope for their future along with creating value for the company.
It has been said that the greatest sense of purpose within a company comes when both the company and the employee are able to connect, and the company acknowledges the contribution of the employee. Though it is ultimately up to employees to follow the lead, but leaders should encourage them to embrace the necessary attributes.
Finding a sense of purpose within your company and feeling engaged to something bigger is important to any organization, big or small. Employee engagement was traditionally driven by a handsome salary and attractive benefits but today most people see these as a given and instead, they look at what the organisation is known for.
They want to know, as an employee, what they are working towards and how they would make any difference which gives them a greater sense of purpose. Employees, who understand what they are working for, feel a greater sense of purpose which is a powerful driver of employee engagement. They feel they are making a difference and are working towards something which matters. They are also far more likely to support the organisation’s objectives because they appreciate them.
The Importance of Sense of Purpose:-
Studies have shown that purpose correlates positively with a greater sense that their time is being used effectively to fulfill company goals. It is found that when our own values match the values of the company, it has a thoughtful impact on our mental and physical well being. As before, both performance and health were boosted when values were aligned, and we can live our lives in a harmonious way each day.
Having a sense of purpose is essential to everyone’s well being and equally important is having a sense of purpose at workplace. We must continually look for and find that sense of purpose in our career as the circumstances change. A plentiful organization enables its employees to be completely content by finding meaning and purpose from their work. This meaning enables employees to have a personal hope for their future and create value for the customers and investors. The importance of sense of purpose lies in the following –
- It enables leaders to model healthy relationships at work.
- It encourages people to get to know each other by making use of the time, space and the resources available.
- It can encourage people and thank those caught in the act of doing nice.
- It can set up ways to teach and train people in the skills of good relating such as good listening, being curious, being effectively apologetic, controlling anger and letting go of small things.
Benefits of Sense of Purpose to the organization:-
It is important for companies to communicate the significance of the role that true sense of purpose comes from within. One of the most effective ways to build a meaningful workplace is to find people who line up with the vision and values of your company. A clear sense of purpose is not only beneficial in terms of productivity and presentation, but also for the overall well-being and happiness of the workplace. From an organizational perspective, here are some benefits of fostering a sense of purpose:-
Connects with employees and impacts their work
This feeling at work matters greatly to all employees. They do not want to distinguish between what they do in their personal life from what they do in their professional life. It matters to them and they assume that the companies they work for are going to engage with them on that basis.
Creates opportunities to grow and learn
This relates to employees thinking that they matter enough to the organization that effective leadership will be invested in their training, education and professional future with the company. Organizations should develop a culture of learning to increase the employee engagement. Employees who actively engage in learning tend to be more innovative and feel more organized to take on challenging tasks as a result of feeling more capable and confident in their abilities.
Creating opportunities for employees to mentor
Being able to engage and work with others to seek out their knowledge to help solve technical issues, can help employees and organizations as a whole. Employees who have an opportunity to mentor others may gain a different perspective since they are able to share their knowledge to others by teaching them something. These kinds of opportunities enable more experienced employees to provide leadership to those with less knowledge or experience who may be stressed in a particular area.
Make a Social Impact
Increasingly companies are adding a social purpose to their mission. Research has shown workers who believe they are having a social impact on people, are twice as satisfied with their jobs as those that do not.
Today’s employees do not just want an important title and satisfying salary from their job. They want to know how they contribute to a company’s mission. When the profit motive becomes unmoored from the purpose motive, bad things can happen. No company wants this, so employers must try to instill a sense of purpose to their bottom line.
Sense of Purpose improves financial performance
There are so many ways that purpose impacts business outcomes both directly and indirectly that can explain the positive relationship between financial performance and being a purpose driven company. The three main contributors to financial performance that are driven by sense of purpose are:
Innovation
The innovations created by purpose driven businesses contribute to better financial performance and studies show that more innovative companies display a superior financial performance.
Work performance
Purpose driven organizations give employees a direction to follow. Because of this the employees are often more committed to their organizations and bring their best selves to work. They can see the connection between their work and the company’s goals, motivating them to work effectively and with more zeal.
One study discovered that when employees find a sense of meaning behind the work they do, their productivity increases. This improved productivity is one factor that contributes to purpose-driven companies being more financially profitable.
Employee health
There is a mountain of proof surrounding the health benefits of sense of purpose. Some major benefits include healthier aging, better sleep routine, more energy and will power, decreasing risk of heart related illnesses and a better built immune system. Healthier workers are more productive and have lower healthcare costs both contributing to better financial performance.
How a sense of purpose impacts well being
Reduced stress
Those who know their purpose can be better at drawing most from life and work and can be better at lowering their stress levels. Doing so can help them manage daily stressors like meetings and deadlines.
Improved coping potential
Individuals who feel like their lives have meaning are better able to cope with challenges using their mindfulness and emotional awareness .Being able to find peace in stressful circumstances can help employees focus on accomplishing difficult tasks.
Healthier lifestyle choices
Some researchers have tied sense of purpose to improved physical activity and other healthy behaviors such as great use of preventive health care services.
Teams that truly thrive together are bound by a combined respect for the company’s vision and values and united in a higher sense of purpose towards their work. When individuals are motivated to be a part of the bigger picture and long-term goals of the company that is when the real meaning of purpose shines through. People find meaning when they see a clear connection between what they highly value and what they spend their most time doing.
Leaders in today’s time are in a great position to communicate the values of a company in trying to connect their work with those values. This means sharing stories of how the company is making a difference for good in the lives of people including their customers, employees as well as the communities. It is quite clear that true sense of purpose has tremendous benefits for both- individuals and the organizations, so it is vital that we try and live a purposeful work life as much as we can.
Having a sense of purpose in both your life and your workplace has been proven to make a great impact on your personal productivity, happiness and even your health. Feeling useful at work is of more importance to most of us than job security, opportunities for advancement at workplace and having freedom to work independently no matter how stressful we perceive our work to be. Having a true sense of purpose and meaning has been shown to have significantly more contribution in our job satisfaction that almost all other known factors.
