A team is only really a team if it has purpose. A group of travellers on a bus would not be a team, but if that bus were to be become stranded in a snowstorm, then survival would become a clear and compelling purpose and the group of travellers might feel motivated to work together as a team.
The importance of purpose was defined a long time ago. At the turn of the 19th Century, Carl Von Clausewitz identified ‘selection and maintenance of the aim’ as the first, and paramount principle of war. History is threaded by clear and compelling purposes which have given focus to human activity.
Think of a sports team from an isolated community. If it had no competitions to enter, or no other teams to play against, they would have no reason to train or improve. Trying to win the cup, or beat the competition gives them their purpose – it gives them a reason to train hard and to develop their teamwork and tactics. Clear and compelling purpose is a great motivator, and an absence of meaningful purpose has the opposite effect.
Effective leaders and high-performing organisations are always clear what they are working towards. Think of a company that makes regional newspapers. If you were to ask several people in the company what their purpose is, the likelihood is that they would all have a slightly different answer. This is because different people and departments within the newspaper office will have different perspectives. Some might say to produce a paper, others might argue that it is to sell advertising, and others might say that their purpose is to make an editorial point. All these separate visions of what the purpose is will work subtly against each other. This will lead to competition within the team for resources and attention. This will create friction between departments and will dilute the force and focus of the organisation.
To avoid internal friction and to drive activity, leaders need to work hard to define the purpose of their team or organisation. That purpose should be ‘clear and compelling’. Simple enough that everyone in the team will understand it – not too long and written in plain language and emotionally engaging enough so that people will want to work for it.
A structure that works well is for the statement to have two elements to it: ‘What and Why’. The ‘What’ guides activity, the ‘Why’ fuels emotional engagement. Here are two of examples of what a Clear and Compelling Purpose could look like:
1. Large Youth Organisation
We are aiming to be the most exciting and inclusive youth organisation in the region (WHAT), in order to attract new members and so have a positive impact on as many young people as possible (WHY).
2. Newspaper
To provide the most trustworthy and up to date source of news in the region (WHAT), in order to be the media outlet of choice for readers and advertisers (WHY).
A well-defined purpose can be incredibly powerful. It can inspire and energise, but only if it is well understood within the organisation. Too often the purpose gets lost in corporate documents; even though people know it exists, the purpose is not a lived experience. This is where you, as a leader need to ensure that everyone not only understands the purpose, but that they are excited by it and focussed on it.
Start by making sure you are clear what your purpose is and, if it was set a while ago, that it is still relevant. Once you have clarified what your purpose is, try to sketch out a rough vision of the journey you will take in moving towards that purpose and what success will look like. Think about what route you are planning to take to move the team from where you are to where you are going and what people can expect to experience on that journey. This should not be a detailed business plan, but it needs to be enough to clarify your thinking and allow other people to understand where you will be leading them.
When you are clear about your team’s purpose and journey, share your message widely and often to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. The purpose should be brought into meetings, linked to people’s objectives, and referenced in plans. I suggest getting people together and presenting these ideas to everyone, as well as sharing these ideas in smaller groups and individual conversations. What your team is trying to achieve, how you plan to get there, and what success will look like are all things that should be well known, well understood and should be a clear, regular theme running through all your messages. Your team will be happy to have a clear sense of your ideas and where you hope to lead them.
These ideas are all about helping the team to feel comfortable and safe with you as a leader. The better that your team understands your thinking and priorities, the more they will be able to make the right decisions and take action on your behalf. These ideas can either be applied when you are
already established in a leadership position, or when you are taking up a new appointment. If you get the purpose right, it will energise the organisation, pull people together, focus resources and give meaning to people’s work.
Neil Jurd OBE is the author of The Leadership Book (priced at £15.99 and available from Amazon.co.uk)
