The Purpose of Purpose
You can talk all you want about having a clear purpose and strategy for your life, but ultimately this means nothing if you are not investing the resources you have in a way that is consistent with your strategy. In the end, a strategy is nothing but good intentions unless it's effectively implemented.
Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business Professor, entrepreneur, theologian and management thinker
Purpose is a great buzz word, a fashionable idea in brand circles, the concept du jour. Easily bored and always looking to differentiate ourselves from the herd, we have a tendency to recoil from them and search for tomorrow’s shiny new phrase or concept instead. But buzz words are not always bad. They are simply ideas which get traction and become widespread. Clichés become established because they contain fundamental truths. Purpose matters. It matters that we find it. And we find our purpose by being clear about what we want and have the willingness to be honest and accountable for it.
In essence, purpose is a systematic decision tree. You have a goal, a target and a desire to get there. Your purpose is simply to undertake the activity necessary to reach your destination. It requires making choices about where you put your time, energy and resources. And it’s as much about what you won’t do as what you will. Purpose is simply clarity. And you arrive at that clarity by asking the right questions:
What are the rules and principles by which you want to live your life?
How can you ensure that you are seeking truth?
What’s important to you?
Who are you and how are you constructed?
How are you going to get what you want?
Having answered these questions, you should be prepared to check them against what others think of you. Consider who is going to keep you honest and why it’s important. Purpose is a term which is bandied about sufficiently for us to feel anxious if we perceive that our business lacks one. But what is the point of it? And why do we need it? What IS the purpose of purpose?
What’s really interesting to me about living in our time and in our generation is that there is a remarkable change of living now: that ineptitude is as much or a bigger force in our lives than ignorance.
Atul Gawande
The gap that doctor, researcher and writer Atul Gawande speaks of in this quote is the gulf which lies between the knowledge we possess and our failure to apply that knowledge. We have never been better informed. The digital age has ensured that we can have the latest facts, figures and even rumours about organisations and individuals at our fingertips within seconds. But what are we to do with this knowledge once we have it? How do we use it to shape our lives and businesses, make decisions, take risks?
Purpose is about keeping you honest and aligning your behaviour to that honesty. It’s about staying true to those who rely on you at home and at work. For that you need the impartiality of a trusted advisor. That person who has no investment or agenda beyond keeping you directed and providing the very necessary honest feedback to keep you on track. We may have the best of intentions yet we know ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Most of us need that critical second opinion. A consigliere who will evaluate your performance, track your goals and ensure that you are fulfilling this precious purpose.
Successful people ask for the criticism of others and consider its merit.
Ray Dalio
Because purpose is not just about business, though it informs it. It is a reflection of our very attitude to life and the value we place on it. It is a concept both expedient and moral. It will determine where we place our time and energy and with whom. The purpose of purpose is to guide us to our chosen destination, whether that is to provide for our families, follow a creative conviction or simply make as much money as possible. There are no right answers, only honest ones. Don’t be afraid of the truth. Truth is your friend.
Principles are what allow you to live a life consistent with those values. Principles connect your values to your actions.
Ray Dalio