Crushing Confusion: part 2
Why do we exist? Why do you?
As I outlined last week, our consulting firm believes in creating robust organizational clarity by answering six “critical clarity questions” with one’s leadership team. (See linked article for the six questions with explanations. Thank you for this blessed framework, Patrick Lencioni.)
As I noted, our answer to the first of the six questions, “Why do we exist?”, is To make work great. And as promised let me now unpack that, then equip you to create some of your own clarity if you need it.
“To make…
We want to influence people for good. God created us and endowed us with freedom and intelligence. He called us to cooperate with Him in shaping human history. We have the privilege of participating in His creative action in the world, which is a joy.
…work…
“Till the earth and subdue it.” Work is necessary. It’s also humanizing and noble. We’re however often sold a vision of work that minimizes its inherent value: get to retirement as soon as you can.
No way.
Work is far more significant than a mere means to an economic end. In working not only do we contribute to society, but we also shape our character, our families, and our societies.
Consider the math: if you sleep 8 hours a night, that leaves (16 hrs x 7 days =) 112 waking hours a week. If you work 40 hours, that’s 36% of your time not asleep; 50 hours, 45%; 60 hours—over half of your waking hours. Thus work takes up a lot of our time, a lot of our life. And that’s good. But sometimes work isn’t.
…great.”
What percentage of the workforce is miserable because organizations are dysfunctional? I have no idea, but anecdotal evidence suggests it’s not negligible. And the good news is that dysfunction is largely fixable: work can be changed, it can improve. And if it can’t, it can be quit in search of a more functional alternative. (Yes, I do think that people should probably quit more often than they do.) What’s more, if you’re a leader, work can become great with some patient, persistent, courageous effort.
You…
So how you can create some of this meaningful clarity, if you need it? If you don’t already know your organization’s answer to “Why do we exist?,” try this: take an hour with your leadership team and ask each person to write down a proposed answer. Parameters: short, clear, simple, true, compelling quasi-philosophical phrases that get at the root of things. For example, “we want to change our industry” or “to lead people to God” or “because I love working with these people” (that’s actually a defensible candidate, if it’s true).
Then ask each person to read out their answer, someone writing them with different coloured markers on a wall or chart. Then ask for brief explanations. Discuss the similarities and differences. Finally, work towards one common answer that makes sense, that motivates, that’s easy to remember, and that everyone can wholeheartedly buy into. (Note: if someone just can’t do that, it’s probably an indication that he or she isn’t a philosophical fit for your org and should be helped to find that fit elsewhere.)
Try it, see what happens, and feel free to let us know how it goes. We are genuinely curious.
Clarity is beautiful and worth working towards; indeed fighting for. Work can be great. Try to make yours a little greater.