At the 2016 Institute of Internal Communication Central Seminar, we invited people to consider Purpose; what it is, and why it's increasingly important for us and for our work. More recently, we've been having lots of conversations about Purpose and it's become a central aspect of many organisations' strategy. Here's are some thoughts - on Purpose.

How do you define purpose?

People will have their own definition, but for us it’s the reason we do something. It’s what motivates and drives us. In this context, it is why we come to work and is closely aligned to our values and beliefs. For an organisation, it is why it exists; or the problem it solves.

Organisational purpose should never be about making a profit. Making money is the by-product of purpose.

Who can best influence purpose in organisations?

Organisations need to be really clear about their purpose, in part because the psychological contract is broken.

That starts with understanding what they are there to do - why they exist - and then communicating it well. At the same time, people in an organisation need to be able to connect with their own purpose, so it resonates with the broader organisational purpose. They needn’t be the same, they just need to be aligned.

What can a successful, collective purpose achieve?

It achieves alignment, helps create personal 'flow', reduces ambiguity and the need for control, improves productivity, drives innovation and engages employees. And that's just the start!

What's a great example of Purpose in an organisation? 

At the Seminar in 2016, Avon talked emotionally about 'Beauty for a Purpose'. Avon's purpose is 'to create a world with more empowered women – by providing an earnings opportunity that helps them achieve independence through economic advancement.'

It’s simple, clear and inspiring.

What is Hiyu’s purpose?

What really motivates us to get out of bed in the morning has always been the same; to want to make a positive difference to people's lives. It’s a cliche but we want to make things better.

When we apply that to our work, we help people connect with their purpose. That's about how we lead, but it's also about how we enable our colleagues to share stories that make the connection between individual beliefs and organisational aims.

Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside us, unplayed. — Oliver Wendell Holmes

What's your purpose? Do you have any examples of organisational purpose expressed well?