Alignment of purposes. Yours and your company’s. How important is it?

Let’s talk about alignment of purposes. My personal purpose and the company’s purpose.

People are often asked in job interviews “what you are passionate about”. And this makes sense in a way. Being in touch with your passion, feeling ignited is awesome; for you and also because it serves the purpose of companies. Ignited people, passionate people will bring along their light to the workplace and will probably give the best of themselves.

Yet, companies need to be very responsible with this. This is a gift. People’s passion and purpose are very precious and people are sharing that with us.

When this alignment actually happens, and people actually see your company as a platform through which they can serve their personal purpose, the company needs to take this responsibly and take care of people’s well being. Please, do not take advantage of people’s intentions.

Openly appreciate that they are giving their best and above all do not push them till they collapse. Because burnout is serious stuff and we need to pay attention to what Byul Chun Han has to say on this issue in the Burnout society.

Some companies or projects are very purpose driven, particularly in social projects, health, education. And we see this way too often. People underpaid, feeling unappreciated at times, but pushing themselves even more because they know what they do matters. Still, when people respond to their vocations, don’t feel void.

Now, you might be wondering, what happens when your company sells something you feel does not make a difference though?

What if you work for a company that sells something that’s unhealthy or bad for the environment or just plain shady. In those cases it might be a little tougher to find a purpose that you can get behind. Yet, working towards your purpose is not what you do, but how you do it?

A company that sells something you don’t care much about can have awesome purpose driven policies within the company, or sponsor social projects that align with; a shared purpose that you can get behind. It’s not only in the final product that the company sells, but in the essence of the company.

Still, we need to acknowledge there are limits to this. Each person will have his or her own limits, where to draw the line and we think “well, that is just wrong”. And when you feel it, that feeling needs to be addressed. Because working for a company that does something you profoundly disagree with, could result in having a serious internal conflict. There are times when you have to say no. That might not be possible right away, but you know that eventually you have to work towards that. If not, the price you might end up paying might be too high.

Is this allignment just a fad?

If this alignment of your personal purpose and your company’s is to be beneficial for you to live a more authentic and meaningful life it has to be connected to your essence, and that implies lots of trust, or psychological safety and courage on both parts many times. Both parties have to be willing and open to have this type of conversation in the workplace.

This can be counterintuitive to many because much of what used to be private. Yet, it now seems to be part of what we share and make public for example on social media, like all those purpose related posts on Linkedin.

If we take these conversations lightly it can end up fueling a false sense of self. We might end up feeling pressure because our purpose might not sound exciting or even flattering.

Still, our purpose is not what you think it should be, it’s who you can’t help being.

This is key so we don’t go about it as a way to show off and think that if I can’t state my purpose based on what I assume others are expecting of me, I am failing it, and doing it for others in spite of feeling sometimes very different on my inside. Going this way may result in a deep sense of void and loneliness; a false sense of self and that is not good news for your wellbeing.

Whether it’s your personal purpose, or your company’s remember: this statement of purpose doesn’t necessarily have to be grand or flattering. If this quest is taken lightly, and just a means to attract customers, a position or talent, eventually people see through it.

We have the chance to go for actual connection. we’re talking about a no bullshit approach, complete honesty here- people are not drinking the kool aid. That’s why we’re in a bit of a purpose crisis — according to Forbes, almost 60% of employees that are familiar with their company’s mission and purpose, are not motivated by it. Maybe we are not doing it well.

Having this conversation in the workplace is an awesome opportunity, a door that opens up for cultural change. It is difficult though, and for it to work it requires the efforts of many people to explore new ways of connecting. Helping others ignite their souls is so powerful, that we consciously choose to believe that it is possible.

This is romantic. It implies a degree of idealism, but as Goethe used to say: “When we treat man as he is, we make him worse than he is. When we treat him as if he already was, what he potentially could be, we make him what he should be.”

And this holds true to people and eventually it is true for companies too, as they are, well.. you know, made up of people.

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