Transcend Barriers to Organizational Purpose
In my work as an agent of change for organizations I have often produced insight about my client companies by thinking of them as “human organisms” — like a person — with aspirations, talents, beliefs, and feelings. Like a person, they often seek purpose.
The same two barriers that prevent a person from finding purpose — ego and rationality — prevent organizations from finding it as well. So, if you are currently working at articulating an organization’s purpose — creating a vision, delineating values, re-thinking mission — do your best to divest yourself of self-seeking ego-based thoughts and impulses. Also do your best to trust non-rational (not irrational) forces such as intuition and gut-feelings. Only then can you find the purpose that will inspire and energize your people.
Related posts:
The Purpose Prescription (conclusion to a series of 4 posts)
Worthy Visions Pass One Simple Test
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◊ Filed in: Organization Change | Leadership & Commitment
October 12th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
I wonder if the two barriers aren’t actually one–it is often the ego that says, “I can figure this out! I’ll just think it through some more!”
October 13th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Max,
I do see them as separate, and also know that when they are hitched together they can become difficult. When the mind is in the service of the ego it can become a dangerous place to visit.