How do you create a culture in an organisation?
I’ve been inspired by two incredible women and their passion for purpose and culture in organisations. They are both turning the traditional HR space on its head with their approach to talent development. I’ve felt energised by their ‘rebellious’ (their words not mine) attitude to how we think about people in our teams.
These conversations led me back to purpose. As Simon Sinek so eloquently puts in, ‘when you start with why’ everything else just seems to fall into place.
Purpose
When we know an organisation’s true purpose we can create a culture around it. Great organisations, founded on purpose, attract the best talent and generate loyalty in their clients. They are usually innovative and at the leading edge of their industries. They are clear on their vision and their values. Their employees live and breathe their values because they have been involved in the process of creating them. Values are the lifeblood of these organisations with everyone playing a part to make them real on a daily basis.
Organisations like these are filled with teams of people who trust each other naturally because everyone has a sense of belonging. They are bursting with people who step up, share their opinions, offer ideas, fail forward, encourage each other, and ‘say it how it is’ – authenticity is everywhere. When you walk into one of these organisations you immediately feel like you’re entering a club, a place where everyone there is in alignment. That’s because they are – they all believe in a common purpose.
Do you have clarity on what your organisation’s purpose is? More importantly, do you know what your own purpose is?
Purpose comes from the heart, it’s not a head thing.
If you want to know your purpose then think about what truly lights you up – that’s a great place to start. If you’re not sure what that is I can help you.
I’ve just started following Richard Sheridan who has written a couple of books I’m dying to read. Here’s a neat comment from him that captures Purpose in organisations:
It often surprises potential clients when our High-tech Anthropologists suggest that software won’t be the best solution to the problem they are trying to solve. “Isn’t that what you guys do for a living? Build software?” “No, we answer. We solve problems for a living.” Richard Sheridan
To find out about your purpose check out my IGNITE programme here.