Getting uncomfortable on Purpose

If your firm addresses purpose as a matter of relaxed, cozy routine in a complacent manner you are probably doing it wrong. Read this 10 min article by BCG to learn five ways to rediscover the true power of purpose.

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The authors answer the question, “How can we get back to the raw power of the idea of purpose and jettison the ambiguity, complacency and ritualization which have grown up around it?”

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Idealism vs Realism, Imaginative needs vs existing needs, positive impact vs financial viability, and consistency vs adapting to changes are the main tensions that lie at the heart of the idea of purpose. The authors try to untangle these complicated dilemmas.

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Our key takeaways:

1. A good purpose sets aspirations without ignoring the brutal truths.
2. Purpose should suggest a way to create a positive impact while attracting and maintaining the resources to do so.
3. The discomforting gap between aspiration and reality inspires innovation and collaboration.
4. Purpose should be a timeless idea that remains the core of the strategy while it evolves and develops with time.
5. To translate purpose into substantive actions it requires honest, open and difficult communications.
6. Purpose should shape the organization’s  M&A, and R&D strategies, its product portfolio, internal processes and corporate statesmanship activities.

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