Built to Grow

Chapter 5Business Purpose, Aspirational Goals, and Growth Strategy

‘If the WHY is compelling and strong enough, then you'll figure out the what and the how.’

Every person experiences important moments in their lives, but in business, there is one that stands out above all others: the moment a person changes from someone with a job to someone with a purpose. While the motivation to do so must come from within, the triggers that compel them to make the switch are ones the organization and its leaders can create.

The reality is that most people have difficulty making a commitment to anything. They spend their whole lives jumping from one thing to another, looking for a quick and easy way to success, or else they just settle for something less than their dreams. Many people make a half-hearted commitment to something, and tell themselves they are making a total commitment. Then they see something better somewhere else; the grass looks greener in a new business or job. They commit for a while to something new, and then they get tired of that too, and they're off again to something else.

The challenge for the organization is obvious; an endless cycle of rehiring, retraining, lost opportunity, the loss of perfectly good people to the competition, and a constant feeling of disruption. Furthermore, if people are leaving your organization, it gives others a reason to consider the exit door too. A lack of a compelling WHY can have a huge knock-on effect in your people strategy.

While ...