Six Ways to Encourage a Sense of Purpose in the Workplace

We’ve already discussed the value of a purpose-driven workplace, but how, exactly, do you implement one within your organization? What are some tangible ways you can be sure your business has the ability to not only meet industry demands, but learn and grow a positive, purposeful workforce? Below are six ways to encourage a sense of purpose in the workplace:

1. Define your “why”: Consider this: your core values are hung in big, bold letters behind your desk. They are the first thing you see when walking in each morning (a great reminder/intrinsic motivator to start each day), and also what your colleagues and clients see when walking into a meeting. Your values help to drive purpose and define your why. The individuals who work with and for you need to understand what motivates you, what drives you to lead them with purpose. This helps to not only humanize you as the manager, but it creates transparency and authenticity in a genuine way when the hustle of the day-to-day can easily overwhelm the true purpose of our work.

2. Lead by example: It’s not enough to simply talk the talk. Employees need to see you leading and living by your values each and every day. Perhaps one of your values is creativity; it is easy to get bogged down by meetings and strategy sessions, but if stretching yourself creatively is what gives you a sense of purpose and pride - let your employees see you carving out time to lean into that value. Maybe a value of yours is health - are you quickly eating a takeout lunch at your desk between meetings, or worse skipping lunch altogether? Or are you making the time to eat a nutritious meal, and maybe even shifting a meeting outside for some fresh air, sunshine and steps, instead of sitting in a stuffy office building. These daily choices matter. Not just for your own well-being, but for your employees who value YOU in addition to the organization. They provide a sense of self-worth, which helps us all clarify our purpose for coming into work each and every day. 

3. Help/encourage your employees to define their why: Everyone is different, and the variety of unique individuals who makeup a workforce is often also one of our strongest assets as a leader. We all bring different skills and stories to our jobs, thus creating the necessity of ensuring that each member of the team understands their individual purpose. Yes, we want company values and goals to remain visible, relevant, and top of mind, but to intrinsically motivate and encourage a true sense of purpose, we must help those around us in defining their own. Questions as basic as: “what values do you hold closest at work or in life?” or “what motivates you?” can unlock surprising reasons for why an individual finds purpose within their role. Circling back to these responses when conducting 1:1 meetings or employee reviews shows that you care, but also that you are committed to supporting their individualized experience within the organization.

4. Provide Clarity: Vital to a purpose-driven workplace is regularly showing people how their work benefits others, and the overall bigger picture. By doing so, employees may begin to feel a greater sense of belonging - of purpose - and an understanding of just how much their work matters. This all leads to an enhanced sense of clarity within their individualized roles. We’ve already identified how the post-pandemic employee experience should include more than just a good salary and fancy title. Today’s employees want to know HOW their work is positively impacting the business, and oftentimes the community/industry/world, as a whole. By providing a clear and concise vantage point of how each position, and individual, is contributing to the company (and recognizing them for doing so), you encourage a greater sense of purpose within each person’s work.

5. Encourage collaboration: How often have we worked on a long-term project, or even a basic task, only for it to be sent off and approved, possibly never to return to our hands? Employees need to know how their work plays into the larger picture of what the organization is all about. Clarify this by bringing them into a planning or execution meeting, a client proposal session, or an executive team discussion when relevant. Cross-departmental collaboration not only enhances a sense of purpose, it increases productivity and cuts down on time wasters. This strategy has become all the more important as so much of the workforce shifts to working remotely, where opportunity for spontaneous collaboration is significantly reduced, but still needed.

6. Create a culture of continuous learning: Investing in your employees’ personal and professional development generates a culture where employees can genuinely feel and see their value to the organization. Offering regular, timely feedback that is constructive is a simple way to create opportunities for growth and learning on an individual level. It creates a workforce of employees who are more confident, and willing to take on challenging tasks; helping you to adjust responsibilities as needed to better fit each employee’s purpose and values. By supporting opportunities for growth and learning that align with a sense of purpose, your organization increases engagement and improves retention while enhancing creativity and innovation. 

Your organization’s goals and values matter when it comes to the overall success of your business; but so do those of each individual within it. The workforce landscape is changing across all industries, and to remain competitive in 2023, implementing these strategies to generate a purpose-driven workforce will be one of the most impactful shifts you can make for the individuals within your organization, your guests, and your business as a whole.