We hear about purpose all the time, but its impacts are even greater than you might have thought. Purpose is powerful for people and also for organizational outcomes. It’s something we can nurture individually, but the best leaders also create the conditions for people to feel a greater sense of purpose.
And purpose is especially important today. We all have an instinct to matter, but we’re not feeling fully engaged. In fact, engagement is at an 11-year low. And according to a survey of 4,475 people by Gallup and Stand Together, only 18% of people say their job gives them a sense of purpose and 45% say they work just to collect a paycheck. And in a survey by PWC, half of people said their job fails to give them a sense of meaning.
We’re also stressed and disconnected. But purpose can make a big difference in terms of reducing burnout, isolation and anxiety, and in turn, increasing energy levels, connection and empowerment. With so many positive effects, focusing on purpose is a wise strategy.
The Benefits of Purpose
Purpose delivers significant of advantages. When people have a strong sense of purpose, they are almost six times as likely to be engaged in their work. They are also much less likely to be burned out (13% compared with 38%) or to be looking for a different job (41% compared with 68%). With a greater sense of purpose, people report they have a better experience at work and organizations get better results in terms of productivity and profitability, according to Gallup and Stand Together.
Studies at the University of Sussex also found that when people had a greater sense of purpose they were not only more productive, but also happier at work. And a feeling of purpose also led people to believe that their work was more meaningful, according to studies at Northwestern University.
Fascinatingly, purpose is also related to reduced loneliness. In fact, when people had a greater sense of purpose, they were less likely to feel alone or isolated, according to studies by the University of Pennsylvania. And when you we have a sense of purpose, we’re also healthier, with less cardiovascular disease and greater overall longevity, based on research in Psychosomatic Medicine.
How Leaders Provide for Purpose
As a leader, you can’t be responsible for others’ purpose, but you want to be responsible to create the conditions for them to have a greater sense of purpose. So as a leader, how can you create the conditions for purpose and increase the likelihood people will feel greater purpose?
1. Emphasize the Big Picture
One of the hallmarks of purpose is feeling like you’re contributing to something greater than yourself. We don’t need to be solving world peace or world hunger (although these are wonderful efforts if you’re contributing to them!), but we do need to feel like our work contributes to something greater than ourselves. According to Gallup, purpose is largely driven by a belief that our work is contributing to something important.
As a leader, you can remind people about how their work matters and how it makes a difference to teammates, customers and the company as a whole.
Leaders provide for purpose by letting people know how their work matters.
2. Emphasize Unique Contributions
Another critical element of purpose is a sense that we can make a unique contribution. Great leaders are specific with people about how their skills count and how they are uniquely suited for the role they’re doing.
Give people feedback and hold them accountable. Recognize great performance but also pay attention so you can provide new ideas and constructive suggestions for improvement. People want to know that you want them at the table, appreciate their contribution and value the deliverables they create.
Also be sure that your feedback is specific to what people do particularly well. Perhaps someone is a ninja with details, or they regularly lean in when things are sticky or challenging. Focus on what makes them especially good at what they do.
Leaders provide for purpose by reinforcing how people’s work matters, but how employees are making a unique contribution to their own success and that of the team and the organization.
3. Emphasize People
A third critical element of purpose is contributing to real people in real ways. People may get on board for company growth or profitability, but what will really get them out of bed in the morning is knowing how their work affects others.
Give people clarity about how their work makes a difference to teammates or the users of the organization’s products or services. Community and connections are fundamental to our health and wellbeing, so knowing how our role connects with others is significantly linked to a sense of meaning, purpose and importance.
Leaders provide for purpose by communicating with people how they are making a difference for the community.
4. Emphasize Goals and Outcomes
Another interesting aspect related to purpose is a sense that there is meaning in daily activities. In fact, research by Harvard on 12,000 reports from workers over three years found that the most important factor that separated good days at work from the worst days at work was a feeling of progress. Moving things forward, getting things done and small accomplishments meant the most for people and to nurture a sense of happiness and satisfaction.
In addition, the best days for people at work were when people they felt they had made progress to their goals, completed meaningful work, made a difference, felt proud of their efforts and had good experiences with coworkers, according to a global survey by Woohoo.
Leaders provide for purpose by clarifying goals and what needs to be accomplished. They measure results and celebrate outcomes throughout the process.
5. Emphasize Purpose Outside of Work
A lesser-known way that purpose develops is through having the opportunity to pursue purpose outside of work.
There is spillover between happiness in work and life. According to a longitudinal study of 162,000 people, those who were most fulfilled outside of work experienced greater happiness within work, based on research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. And in another longitudinal study of over 216,000 people, greater happiness outside of work predicted greater happiness within work, regardless of age, education or gender. This data was published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
There is certainly room for improvement here though. Based on Gallup and Stand Together data, only 12% of people say their job allows them to pursue purpose in their life outside of work.
Leaders provide for purpose by ensuring reasonable work expectations that allow for people to have healthy boundaries between work and life. In addition, great leaders provide flexibility when it’s possible, so people are able to navigate work and life in the ways that work best for them.
The Power of Purpose
Purpose matters significantly. Creating a sense of purpose for ourselves and for others is a superpower to be sure. It makes a difference, not only in people’s personal experiences and work experiences, but also for teams and organizations as a whole.
And when people are happier and more fulfilled with a greater sense of purpose, they are better together and can contribute to community and others in powerful ways as well.