Author Dan Pontefract has released a new book that I found energizing and I encourage you to check it out. In The Purpose Effect (2016) he suggests that leaders can help their people recognize the “sweet spot” where the organizational mission overlaps with their role purpose and their own personal vision. You can read a summary of the book here – getAbstract
The sweet spot is the space where people feel engaged in their work, energized by how they can make a contribution and clearly understand the contributions their organization makes to their stakeholders. As leaders we rarely have the opportunity to be involved in the crafting of the organizational mission and vision but we can connect it to the day to day work being done and the unique aspirations of each person on your team.
Pontefract suggests that leaders focus on understanding and facilitating two-way dialogue in these three areas:
- Individual and personal goals or purpose and how they relate to the day to day work.
- what motivates the people on your team?
- how do they want to develop themselves?
- what most interests them in their job?
- how can you and the organization support their success?
- The organizational purpose, mission and vision.
- what are your organization’s values?
- how does the organization live out it’s purpose?
- what are examples of the organizational purpose?
- Role-based purpose.
- how do individual roles contribute to the success of the organization?
- where do individual roles make a difference to stakeholders?
- how can a leader recognize individual role contributions to the success of the department or organization?
Taking the time to understand each of these three areas is the first step. Then taking the time to consistently help your team members find their own personal sweet spot at work will help you bring your mission and vision to life.
Todd Thorsgaard
