When employees feel as though they are working towards a real purpose, free of over-bearing policies, they are better able to find their voice within the organization. When driven by purpose instead of policy, you not only set yourself and your people free – but you also find a better way to accomplish the goals that are most important.
When employees find clarity, a fully laid out road map with a real direction, it inspires them and unleashes the inner flame of passion. It allows employees to contribute their own special talents and skills and uses them to the maximum potential possible.
One of the biggest problems facing most organizations are the policies and procedures that are set forth. The bigger the rule book, the more its weight will crush the drive of employees and with it any hope of innovative improvements. Most of these rules and regulations are directly proportional to a lack of innovation and creativity within the organization.
When you break-with the status quo of the prescribed policies and rules you will be able to identify those ones that serve the greater purpose of the organization and support it fully. In order to do this, organizations must define clearly the core purpose such as, serving the customer, serving the team, etc. Finally, it is about finding the underlying purpose for every action that is taken.
Behavior That Will Change
When the focus of any organization is upon the purpose rather than simply on policy, there are dramatic effects on every level, from the top down. When each member of the team understands the purpose – the reason for the existence of the organization and the goals that they are working towards, they’ll be more likely to stick with it, to be excited and enthusiastic because they have clear job expectations.
When you act on purpose rather than acting simply on policy that has always been in place simply to keep up the status quo, you open up new avenues that you normally wouldn’t have explored. Policies that are not useful to your goals act like blinders that hide opportunities – when those blinders are removed, a new vision can be seen.
So what that will get you is a higher energy level both individually and on an organizational level. More energy means more motivation which will produce significantly better results.
In turn, you’ll have happier, more engaged employees that are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the goals of the organization. They will work tirelessly to get through to the next step, the next and the next, always excited to get to the next level – to accomplish another goal.
Engaged employees have no problem questioning those policies that the feel are inhibiting their progress. They tend to be much more able to think outside the box, adapt, and to come up with innovative policies that encourage progress, not just for themselves, but for every member of the team.
They will always be looking for better ways to do their jobs and to create new opportunities for the organization and those that they come in contact with outside of work as well.
As a result, new policies and guidelines can be imposed as a result of realizing the underpinning purpose of the actions that are being taken. When there is a change in policy that includes the right stakeholders in the discussion, it will forge partnerships that will remain intact for the long-run. When there is a culture of constructive and timely feedback, performance increases, team members pull together and progress can be made.