Vision Defines Purpose (Vision 5 of 6)
If Vision is our sense of destiny, a sacred understanding of where we are going then purpose is its more meaningful partner. Like yen and yang these two ideas are each others greatest compliment. Neither can stand alone very well without the benefit of the other. Of course you can have vision with no purpose but there won’t be meaningful results. We need to have a compelling reason to engage in any change of behavior. Purpose is most often defined as the anticipated result that guides decision making. That’s right, when you are moving with purpose; you are simultaneously anticipating a outcome. You’re thinking about your end game with some reasonable expectation. Your results can be either positive or negative but the results are inevitable.
Purpose quite often has two characteristics: it provides meaning and at the same time answers the question “why”. It’s easy to decide on a destination that you want to reach in life. The hard part is providing a sense of contextual meaning or reason to that destination. Without a good compelling reason it’s harder to accomplish anything. Yes, often find ourselves engaging in thoughtless activity simply because someone in whom we have a great amount of respect for asked that we do so. I would submit that keeping up with this course of action, never having a clue as to why your mother for example wanted you to bath five times a day would be difficult. Eventually you’ll have an understanding of how other people behave and begin to question why they can get away with only one or two cleanings a day! You may even begin to resent your mother as you use up more and more body soap in your quest for absolute germ free cleanliness. Anger and disappointment will soon give way to rage and disgust until you simply cease to comply.
But, what if you found out that you carried a highly contagious skin rash that would disappear for exactly four hours after a bathing. You could otherwise lead a very normal life but you simply had to bath every three to four hours to keep everyone around you from grave illness. Well, purpose does put a different spin on things doesn’t it? In fact if you told everyone that you loved that you needed to bath all of the time to keep you from passing on infectious disease your every birthday basket would be filled with”¦”¦”¦you guessed it”¦..soap! They might bring the stuff to you in truck loads. I know this is a far fetched analysis but it does hit quite a few points.
The foundational aspects of purpose and the true reason for any real vision are an absolute thing of beauty. We always know when we are acting from our purpose driven ideas. There is an abiding sense of satisfaction knowing that our deepest convictions and values show up in our everyday behavior. Our sense of destiny is fulfilled and we are aware that every time we experience harmony and balance we are not just “on task” but “on purpose”. We know exactly what we are doing and why we are doing it. This is that absolute perfectly aligned balance between thought and action that leaves no lingering questions, no nagging notion of value. It’s simply good.
Purpose has a concrete nature about it. There’s firmness about conviction that helps others relate to and trust new ideas. Enduring relationships both personal and business are made of this kind of stuff. If you’ve ever had a really good friend that never seems to know what they are doing or why, you may find this idea useful. Ask your friend to engage in a conversation with you around meaning in your friendship. Ask what he or she expects from the relationship and why. Try to create a mutually beneficial system of personal growth that propels you both. If your friends aren’t willing to work with you to help you grow in some way how useful are they really?
It’s true that vision works to direct a company’s efforts and opportunities but with out purpose it’s just meaningless activity that no one really values (see our vision illustration). In fact, without either clear vision or compelling purpose positive change is simply impossible. Imagine moving an entire organization forward on a mission that no one really understands accepts. How hard will people really work? How much creative energy will subordinates actually expend to just blindly follow an organization that seems to be going the wrong way for the wrong reason? Not much. Leaders have to communicate and create purpose along with vision to inspire employees.
The funny thing to me about purpose is that it can actually come from anywhere. The creative mind can look at almost any finished product and assign a purpose to it. Imagine a child’s tricycle in a front yard. From an engineering perspective, it’s clearly a machine that was designed to propel a small child that hasn’t quite yet mastered the subtle art of balance. If you dip this same machine in cement, let it dry and then paint it in vibrant colors it can be a yard ornament or sculpture of some type that reminds the passerby of the fun they had in their own child hood. Add a plant box on the handlebars and you’ve got a wonderful gift for the now adult that use to ride that very tricycle. Pass it down from generation to generation and it becomes a symbolic family heirloom and every two year old in a family can have a picture with it on their b-day. Can you imagine that scrapbook project? See once a project or strategy is actually finished it can and often will take on as many meanings as people will assign it.
Often when a leader designs a new strategy for a group or company, others will attempt to change its purpose even before it’s been implemented. As a leader you then have to ask yourself if your project that clearly can have at least a duel purposes is useful. Will people be able to rally around it with so many different uses or will the message that you want to deliver get so watered down that it loses its power to compel? Will you be able to embrace these multiple purposes and still keep moving forward? If you are the type of person that believes there is only one way to do something or only one reason why it should be done at all then let me know immediately. I’ll create another blog about listening just for you.
Here are a couple of exercises that can help you embrace new initiatives within your teams or committees. Create a list of everything that a new strategy will allow you to do. Who will it affect most positively? How will it move your group forward? When will you experience success? How will you know you’ve arrived? Why is this important to you? What will your group have accomplished as a result of finishing the project? What other groups will feel supported as a result of your success? Add to your list everyday and try to contemplate the questions for fifteen minutes each day for at least two weeks. When you are sure that you’ve exhausted every possible notion that you can think of then take another few days to have some close contacts evaluate your list and have them add their thoughts. Now you are ready to spend about an hour really prioritizing the best ideas. Use your collection of ideas to write brilliant a statement of purpose about your new initiative. I guarantee you will see your vision come to light in a new way. You’ll discover real purpose and drive your own excitement. Finding purpose is the greatest self motivator. Come on in the water is fine!
Repetitive bathing…seemed silly until a meaningful purpose was attached. The consistency lends purpose itself in any activity but purpose added to the repetitive activity results in moving in the direction of the goal or vision.
I loved the transformation of the tricycle!
Looking forward to consistently working the ‘what will a new strategy do’ exercise as I have just started working on a strategic change with my team
If you don’t have the foundation of values, and if it lacks clarity, then it is impossible to make good decisions. Therefore it is essential that vision and purpose exist.
I was recently asked to look over a person’s website and give some feedback. I am often asked to do this and enjoy it, so I tuned it and glanced it over. There were many aspects of the site that were beautiful and helpful and functional, and the goal was clearly stated, but the site fell flat because there was no “why.”
For the person writing the “why” the question is “why am I doing this?” For the person on the outside, though, what the leader needs to answer is “why should anyone care?” Why should they be excited and want to help? Why should there be buy in? They aren’t necessarily different answers, but it may help in how you frame the information.
Without buy-in from others, the larger goals cannot be achieved, and if we are reaching towards the lofty visions true to our hearts, our visions must be so big that no one person can get there alone.
These two go hand in hand. Our purpose/conviction puts us on path to our destiny/vision!
I must come clean and admit that for me, it is difficult to separate the two. In many ways I see them so intertwined that it’s hard to identify the different components and pull them apart.
But definitely without purpose, the vision falls on its own. You need to know where you’re going but also why you’re going in that direction. Is there a need for your product/service? Why would someone care? Why would someone want to do business with you? What can you change or improve in their situation?
In order to have positive change, the two components must definitely exist and be in harmony with each other.
I like Coach Powell’s questions at the end of the blog for people to ask themselves. I think this would be a great exercise in organizations when leaders and managers get together to discuss the project. Understanding the purpose is paramount for a successful project.
And so it is with bigger “projects” like our lives and careers. I feel that purpose is often something that takes time to find and to be uncovered. Many of us have to experience more and more to discover our purpose. We can have a rock solid purpose for our business, but often a purpose for our overarching lives is more difficult. For me personally, I have ideas of what my purpose is in life, but I am still exploring and discovering that nugget of true purpose.
I’ve always thought of “vision” and “purpose” as flip-flopped, if you will. That my “Purpose in Life” was the big picture – what do I want to have accomplished at the end of my life… what do I want people to say about me at my funeral – that kind of thing. And Vision and still very “big” but more of an intermediary goal to strive for & accomplish. One way it was explained to me was that “purpose is the vessel into which we pour our lives. It gives our lives shape and guidance.”
Either way, you need a big picture and the smaller, more tangible steps to get there.
For me, purpose answers the personal question “Why am I here?” Or for companies, “What does my company exist?” And from the previous blog, we find that simply to say “to make money” doesn’t move people as far or for as long as a well thought out purpose.
Once you’ve answered that question, you then can form a vision and set some goals behind that. I have to agree that I think of purpose and vision almost in the same breath. One is not likely to be successful without the other.
Love the analogies! Purpose is the driving force behind vision. I don’t think it’s possible to set a vision without having some sense of purpose. It behooves leaders to really examine whether they are really carrying their people along or if there is no buy-in the the purpose and vision of their company because that is a great indicator of the potential of the company
If we were talking about a tool, I get the part about knowing the purpose of it, or the task it was meant to accomplish.
And so, from there, if you do not know my purpose, then you will never know how to use me, or to what end I can help you.
The question then becomes for me, do my various stated purposes bring me to my vision or just to the needs of others?
Hmmmm.
There was a time in my life, not so long ago, when I went through an extremely dark time because I questioned if there was any purpose to my life. I had wanted a child so much, and believed with my entire heart and being that birthing and raising a child was the reason I was placed on this earth. My purpose for being. When I came to the realization that this very likely would never happen for me, that I would not be so blessed, I was lost. I had no reason. I felt adrift, lost, deeply questioning why I was here.
Thankfully I got through that time with the help of some beloved friends who didn’t allow me to believe that I didn’t matter. That I was indeed precious, and that I made a difference in their lives. I did not receive a blinding flash of light that said “Andrea, this is your Purpose and Reason for Being”. I found something that worked, however, and have been living that.
When I wrote answers to the exercise above, nearly EVERY single response had to do with making money ““ bringing more money into my household. That seems like a totally dumb “˜purpose’ to me. And yet so much could be changed in my life with a bit more of a comfort level in finances. The benefits to myself and my family would be significant, life-altering even. But it still seems petty. Aren’t I supposed to have some glorious self-sacrificing Purpose in life? In my business? Just making money seems petty.
I am obviously still lost in this vision/purpose process.
The statement, “Without a good compelling reason it’s harder to accomplish anything” really resonated with me. I have come to agree and accept the notion that the primary reason we are in business is to make money but should there be a better primary reason other than to make money? What is my purpose for being in business or can the benefits of being in business become my purpose? The benefit of earning more money can answer the question of why I am in business but does earning more money provide purpose in one’s life? I believe purpose comes from accepting the idea that your were created for a task other than being in business.
I think it’s perfectly fine to be in business to make money. It’s the American Dream to start your own company, make money for yourself, and contribute to capitalism. Your company provides a service that others need. In my case, the purpose of my business is to help other businesses increase their profitability. They make more money, I make more money, and it’s a win-win. For me, the purpose of earning more money is to provide for the lifestyle that I’d like to lead. So, the purpose of my business is to help others earn more money. The purpose of me going into business for myself is to help ME earn more money. And the purpose of earning more money is to pay for the lifestyle I desire, which includes helping others, spending time with loved ones, and learning and experiencing as much as possible. Like others have said, it’s difficult for me to really separate my life’s purpose from my vision.
Vision can be for the purpose of making money alone, I could imagine. However, there are many more things in life that are more important. What about your family and the world in general? When you finally have your vision in place, how can you contribute to make the world a better place starting with you, your family, friends and others you don’t know? Your personal vision doesn’t have to be miopic. How can your vision make the earth a better place, make that a part of your vision too? Jarvae is right.
Quite often when raising my son, I would ask him “Why did you do that?” Ironically, his answer was ALWAYS, “I don’t know.” My response was always, “If you don’t know why you are doing it, then don’t do it.” Funny, how we laugh about that now, (he is 21), however it really is applicable to developing your vision. We must understand and know why we are doing something—therefore you must know “purpose”. I guess I know need to ask myself the very question I have asked my son.
The vision for the company can be achieved quicker, better, faster once the people in the company set and achieve their own individual visions. The success of the company begins with them. By giving them the opportunity to participate in Coach Powell’s program, I am confident that they will see how they can make their own lives more successful and meaningful and then channel that energy, belief and passion to insuring that the company also becomes successful and meaningful.
I often see happen what you make reference to above, when someone assigns a strategy to a project and then everyone else tries to shape the purpose to their vision. This can be good, or it can be bad, but you need to be able to separate the two if you want that strategy to succeed. There is no reason you can’t implement the vision of others if it suits your purposes.
It is important that the purpose is clear so that the vision can be achieved.
You need purpose so it isn’t so hard to get people motivated and they buy-in to your vision.
Purpose gives meaning to vision. My purpose is to provide my customers with the best product and provide the best possible service. This has always been my purpose no matter what the job.
Vision for a company can only work if from the top to bottom everyone is on the exact same page. Without a clear and defined vision nothing will change.
“Leaders have to communicate & create purpose along with vision to inspire employees.”
I think I am prepared to embrace a vision for the company…if I know what that vision is. In my mind, the purpose of leadership is to give me that vision.
I don’t think you can have purpose without a vision. I think the reason you have purpose is because of a vision…on any scale. Good or bad.
Certainly purpose, conviction and vision go hand in hand. Purpose gives you the strength needed to fully commit to the task at hand and more distant long term vision. The stronger your sense of purpose, the stronger your sense of conviction. So what happens when not every business has a deep and meaningful purpose? Years ago I asked myself that question – I lend rehab money to real estate investors, so what’s meaningful about that? A self exploration of the benefits I and my company offered was needed to find a deeper meaning and purpose. I looked around Woodbridge after this market crash and realized that our rehab loans have contributed towards a 30% increase in prices in the past six months. I know without a doubt that every resident in Woodbridge appreciates seeing their neighbor’s houses being fixed up and the value of their homes slowly returning to normal. Having a business with the purpose of making money is fine, but finding a little purpose and meaning makes it that much better.
Although our companies serve the needs of different clientele, I completely agreed with Jarvae Pollock’s entry above. However, I do believe that the entire company must share an understanding of the common vision. Perhaps this becomes easier if the attributes of purpose are also shared?
Looking at all of this makes me realize I have 2 visions; one which is a private (what I see as my vision for my life) and a public ( what I see as the greater good vision for my company). The public one is a sidenote of outcome, but it comes from one of my motivating factors. I think I’m going in circles!
Vision provides the foundation and purpose provides the meaning for my actions. The team, vision and purpose, will cause my relationships to immediately come together. Since purpose answers the question, why, the two, will provide much needed clarity in my thought process, and give me the answers necessary to move forward.
It is important to know what is your purpose in life and than the vision gets very clear. With out purpose in my opinion your vision can get very blury. The two go definetly hand in hand. Find your purpose and create your vision and see the end of the road, stay true to yourself and serve with the highest level of integrity.
I have to agree, purpose does put so much more meaning to your vision. Having a purpose in conjunction with your vision puts you in a much more empowering position. When you have and live with a defined purpose, you tend to do things with more vigor and enthusiasm. You’ll find yourself being able to get up at the crack of dawn without an alarm clock, you’ll find that you have energy to do more things than you ever thought possible, and you’ll even see that people are more drawn to you. All because you know what your purpose is and you’ve decided to live it..
I am a person with vision. Don’t know how that came to be, but it’s always there, an imagining of what could be. When the purpose, the greater mission, the greater meaning behind the vision is articulated and conscious, there’s energy to move forward with, clarity and conviction when I speak about it.
Ever since I was a young girl, I was interested in forming groups to bring people together around a purpose. With social media I’ve been able to do that even more easily. With a purpose clearly stated people are more likely to participate, to see the greater value. It’s more than just an idea that one person had; it has value for others.
Thank you for your interesting articles on these important topics.