Keep your vision and mission simple

Motivational gurus and millions of self-help books along with best management writers talk about one single dimension of “Sense of Purpose”. 

Humans lay much emphasis on the purpose of one's existence and apply that philosophy to businesses as well. Each organisation that has existed talks about why are they are there. 

London Business School came up with an interesting insight. Every year, their students go and help with building better sanitation or developing entrepreneurship in underdeveloped countries and rave about the experience of understanding “Sense of Purpose and Existence.” Those same students go on to join top-100 organisations across the globe, working as consultants, hedge-fund managers or investment bankers. This entire exercise becomes lost though it is a phenomenal work. 

Companies also brawl to figure out what is the greater purpose of their existence. There is a constant struggle to figure out what will give employees a sense of purpose to continue working for them. Companies do come up with mission statements about some sophisticated and superior goals in society. Take, for example, Lego stating that they seek to “inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” or Uber saying, “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion” or Coca-Cola's “ To refresh the world in mind, body and spirit. To inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands and actions”. 

Nowhere it says that they are here to make better livelihoods and, of course, to make money. Why? What's wrong in stating that? 

Come to think of it, profits are the only way to create a better world as they help in creating livelihoods and wealth. Everyone needs money for everything. Aspirations are higher than the sky and possessing expensive items are on the bucket list of each individual. 

Freek Vermeulen, author of 'Breaking Bad Habits: Defy Industry norms and reinvigorate your business' says it elegantly, “Economic growth, for example, is an effective way to reduce poverty – likely more so than aid – because it benefits the lowest income brackets in a country significantly.” 

Now on a rational note, creating legitimate wealth is the only way to reduce crime in any country. I specifically chose the word “legitimate” as it is crucial for organisations in the long run to abide by the law, not harm the environment, keep employee safety a priority and share profits with the society, which includes stakeholders and vendors, too. It helps in uplifting people's standard of living as that is commensurate with having positive work culture, better tourism opportunities to any country and mental well-being of people in general.

Therefore, businesses need not be ashamed of endeavouring for profit. Of course, important points like sustainability and employee well-being can be one of the biggest competitive advantages. 

Having said so much, does it mean that sense of purpose is a lost goal? Should employees not think about why are they working for you and not for another organisation? Will people contribute or be excited to work as much if they are not clear about the purpose? 

At a time when many companies are contriving big and radical changes to become more responsive, digitally-enabled, and hands-on along with becoming ruthless competitors, it is more significant than ever that workforces find meaning in their work. Old-style rewards systems and organograms are disappearing. So employees need new motives to believe in their companies. 

Dan Cable, professor at London Business School, sums it up nicely. “The idea that employees perform better when they feel a deep connection to their work is a fundamental part of many corporate reorganisations, where agile systems and other efforts are designed to tap a company's greatest asset: the personal creativity of its employees.”

At the end, it is of utmost importance that an employee or any business figures out the 'Sense of Purpose' in one's work. Each person has to understand that the accomplished work or otherwise and their daily work has a strong impact on the society and the purpose will be higher than one individual. If the vision and mission of the business is simplified, chances of that touching more people's lives and creating a meaning will be higher. 

The writer is a strategic advisor and premium educator with Harvard Business Publishing