1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.
Last month and here: we explored the strategic importance of being a great place to work.
Where do we start if our goal is to create a dynamic workplace culture?
At PCI, we’ve identified four secrets to being a great workplace. Four pillars of our workplace culture.
Last week we looked at Pillar #1: Shared organizational values.
Today we turn our attention to Pillar #2: Purpose.
Why does purpose matter?
Why should we care about the meaning in our work?
Isn’t business just about making money?
As the great Peter Drucker once wrote: “Profit for a company is like oxygen for a person. If you don’t have enough of it, you’re out of the game. But if you think your life is about breathing, you’re really missing something.”
2: The question I like that points toward purpose is this one: Above and beyond making money, what difference do we make?
First, making money is absolutely critical. What happens to companies that don’t make money consistently over time?
They go out of business!!
And asking ourselves what difference we make is also critically important.
3: My favorite story about the power of purpose happened over 300 years ago.
During the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, British architect Sir Christopher Wren asked three men what they were doing.
The first replied, “I am cutting a piece of stone.” The second said: “I am earning five shillings two pence a day.” The third man answered, “I am building a beautiful cathedral.”
That’s the power of purpose.
All three people were doing the exact same thing. Yet, one had a job, the second had a career, and the third had a calling.
Thinking about, understanding, and embracing the meaning in our work changes how we show up at work. And in life.
As leaders, every time we ask the question: “Above and beyond making money, what difference do we make?” we help create the context for the work our organizations do.
More next week!
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Reflection: When in the last 90 days did I find my work to be meaningful?
Action: Share your reflections with a colleague. Invite them to share their thoughts. Today.
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