The phrase ’embedding purpose’ is often used by people and we sometimes find ourselves using it too. But it’s interesting to explore what assumptions may be implicit when people use this phrase. It may carry with it the idea that you are taking something external and inserting it or forcing it into the organisation or people in a top-down mentality, with the underlying thought that it was not there already so has to be brought in from outside.
Our starting point is that most people have the latent potential to find themselves more intrinsically motivated – wanting to be a valued member of a winning team on a worthwhile mission. Key to unleashing the latent potential in the organisation is creating the conditions favourable for people to commit to the organisation’s purpose. It’s not about doing things to people but being with and alongside.
So rather than making people be purpose-led, a point to make in response to questions like this is the importance of how leaders show up, and what could they do differently as leaders to create the conditions to inspire colleagues to be purpose-led through their own actions and commitments.
Questions to explore could include:
For further exploration see: A purpose-led culture