I remember when I was a rebellious teenager, my mother would be the one to teach me the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and reprimand me on my behaviour. She would ask if I did what I did on purpose or was it accidental. The probability was that I just acted without thinking.

Now that I am (somewhat) older, I can see that as a child one can just about avoid retribution with this excuse. However, after we reach our teen years, that thinking is not really good enough and codes of behaviour that include responsibility and accountability become mandatory if we are to progress. My mother was a very sensible woman and taught me that I must be responsible for my own actions and also for the words that came out of my mouth.

So I very quickly had to learn that things don’t ‘just happen’. They are usually planned through and then executed.

Let us apply that imperative to our business. Does your department have its own (unwritten) mission statement so that everyone within it knows what is expected from them?

Purpose and people

Those who arrive at their desk each day who are well aware of the extent and purpose of their schedule will work harder and more effectively. However, those who just come in and work like automatons will invariably not be working to their full potential. People who work with a sense of purpose and connect with it passionately will be more engaged and ultimately more effective at work, and in life generally, because they will achieve personal fulfilment.

Keeping staff motivated should not involve any extra cost but, on the contrary, lead to better performance and employee satisfaction. Helping employees discover their sense of purpose will lead to increased productivity and be a competitive advantage throughout the organisation.

You may say, “I don’t know if my team do believe that their work is meaningful ...” My reply would be: “Have you asked?” Meaning and purpose are core motivators and monetary remuneration isn’t always the answer. Usually we are driven when we believe that what we are doing serves something more important than just profit and, we as human beings, crave for this additional meaning.

If the answer is this simple, and it is, why do many companies seem to overlook it? The reasons are banal. Back-to-back meetings, an overflowing in-box, reduced timescales, shortened delivery times, contract deadlines and no time to discuss and explain priorities. However as a CEO, vice-president, manager or team-leader, there is a responsibility, if not an imperative, to make time to talk to all employees about their individual responsibilities.

If you reply that you don’t have the time, then I will say you need to make time, otherwise eventually you will lose whatever competitive advantage you have. However, if you plan your time to include conversations with your team about their purpose and meaning at work, then they will be better motivated to work with increased satisfaction.

Purpose means connection

Meaningful work is one of the building blocks of resilience i.e., meeting challenges with confidence. When you believe that what you do has a purpose, then you establish a stronger connection with your values and ideals.

Your success as a leader, motivator or executive isn’t just the sum of all you do at any given time. The way to excel in your field and the way you will succeed is the degree to which you are purpose-driven and your team is likewise motivated.

If you look at those around you who regularly achieve their targets, both at work and in life generally, and to whom you aspire to emulate, they are usually those who have the strongest and most authentic sense of purpose behind them. If you want to grow strong, then you need a strong inner strength and a defined mission to get you there.

Purpose is not a guarantee of success, but you cannot build something powerful and meaningful without it. So are you part of a purpose-driven business or just one that makes money?

— The writer is the CEO of an international stress management consultancy and her new book, ‘Show Stress Who’s Boss!’, is available in all good bookshops.