Building a Winning Culture: Establishing a Clear Purpose

In previous posts I have looked at building safety and sharing vulnerability which are two components to building a winning culture. A winning culture is one where people want to work at the company they are at. It is where, in your personal relationships that people want to be with you. The third component to building a winning culture is to establish a clear purpose. I clear purpose is critical to guide the actions and decision making within a company or in relationships. As a personal business coach in The Woodlands and as a personal business coach in Houston, regardless of where I am at or who I have the privilege of collaborating with, establishing a clear purpose for what we wish to accomplish is critical to our success. In a company, establishing a clear purpose is like a lighthouse. It becomes a beacon of light to guide your thoughts and actions. Establishing a clear purpose is critical to having a winning culture. First, with a clear purpose that involves others, you can focus on something bigger than yourself. People love to belong or be part of something bigger than themselves. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” A clear purpose is the glue that bonds people together to accomplish something bigger and better than anything they could do on their own. A clear purpose can be found in the mission statements of many organizations. For example: In Conroe, Texas, the mission statement for the city employees is: “To serve the citizens of Conroe and to exceed their expectations.” With a clear purpose, decisions affecting the citizens are filtered through the prism of their mission statement. And, as the city employees are out serving the citizens they are guided by the words: “To serve the citizens of Conroe and to exceed their expectations.” In a winning culture, you may have the best processes, top product and great people. Yet, without a clear purpose, decision making over a period of time can take a good organization and turn it into a mediocre or failing one. Establishing a clear purpose gives people not only a sense and belief that they belong to something bigger than themselves, it gives them guidance in direction, behavior and attitude as they go about their daily work. A clear purpose is like putting a rudder on the ship of business or the boat of your life. It gives you the ability to steer in a clear direction to having a winning culture and locating the harbors of success and profitability.