Meaning and Purpose
What if your organization didn’t exist?
A key concept of modern management theory is that an organization should be managed partly from the bottom up by allowing workers to self-organize. However, self-organization without clear boundaries has a tendency to lead to utter chaos. It is, therefore, necessary to constrain these self-organized teams and this is best done by giving them a clear, well defined purpose. But what is the purpose of an organization?
For shareholders, board members and the stock exchange, the purpose of an organization is often just short-term growth and profitability. From a more philosophical perspective, however, it could be argued that the real purpose of any organization is the answer to the questions: What if the organization didn’t exist, what would the world be missing? and Why do you do what you do? After all, if the sole purpose of an organization is growth then, from a biological perspective, it would just be called a tumour.
In September 2009, the British-American author Simon Sinek gave a now famous TEDx talk (see header) in which he argued that people are inspired by a sense of purpose (or “Why”), and that this should always come first.
Sinek based his search for purpose on the golden circle, a diagram of a bulls-eye with “Why” in the innermost circle, representing people’s motives or purposes, surrounded by a ring labelled “How” which represents people’s processes or methods. And all this enclosed by a ring labelled “What” representing results or outcomes. For my workshops, I use a slightly different approach, inspired by the Japanese concept of ikigai (生き甲斐), which means “a reason for being.”
Finding Your Organization’s Meaning and Purpose
To find your organizations ikigai, you should envision a Venn diagram of four overlapping circles. In the left circle you list all the things your organization is really good at. In the top circle, you list all the factors that drive your organization, why do you want to do what you do? Then, in the right circle, list for which of the things you do well there is a need in the market, that what the world needs. Finally, in the bottom circle, list the things you do well, and for which there is a market, that what will make you money.
Once you’ve outlined the four circles, it’s time to discover your passion, mission, niche and métier. Your organization’s true passion lies in the overlap of the things you’re good at and that drive you. To find your mission, find the overlapping topics in the circles of what drives you and what the world needs. Then, in the overlap of what the world needs and that what you get paid for, you’ll find your niche in the marketplace. Finally, in the overlapping parts of the bottom and the left circles, you’ll find your métier, your organization’s most advantageous characteristic.
Then, in the centre of the Venn diagram, where passion, mission, niche and métier all overlap, there you’ll find the true purpose of your organization. Assigning a purpose to the organization is the job of management and that purpose should inspire and motivate all their employees. And, the purpose should not ignore but involve and direct all the organization’s stakeholders.
[T]here you are.
