Do you know what you’re working towards… and why? 

Research shows that 76% of employees crave a sense of purpose. We want to be part of something larger and more important than ourselves. 

If you don’t know the purpose of your team or organisation, it’s impossible to know if you are heading in the right direction, and whether you’re really adding value. 

That’s why purpose alignment is critical to how you work, how motivated you are, and whether you deliver high-impact results. 

In this article, we’ll explore what purpose alignment is, why it matters, and how to get it. 

What is Purpose Alignment?

Purpose alignment means your work is always anchored to the purpose and strategic objectives. 

Think of the purpose as your North Star. It’s the “why” behind what you do and ensures you are able to make better decisions, meaning you can move fast and at scale.

Without alignment to the purpose, you can easily wander off in the wrong direction or waste time on ineffective activities. Projects don’t get delivered as intended, resources are wasted, and decisions are slow and ill-informed.

In Brent Gleeson’s book, Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to An Extraordinary Life, he explains the importance of finding the “why” in everything we do. 

For leaders, he says that if you lack purpose in your work, it will show up in how you lead. Others will notice your lack of direction and commitment, and those absences can trigger unwillingness to contribute, meaning results will suffer.

What about team purpose?

Teams are often busy delivering work with little idea of why they’re doing it. But if they are aligned to a clear purpose, it increases motivation, engagement and outcomes. Everyone can play to their strengths to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

Gallup studies show that when teams are aligned and engaged, organisations benefit from higher productivity, improved communication, increased employee engagement and retention, faster decision making, and increased agility to respond to external forces. 

Purpose alignment can motivate you through challenging times too. When you’re moving towards a purpose, you can endure more resistance than if you’re just going through the motions. 

As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a letter to his employees during the Covid-19 pandemic:

"It is in times of great disruption and uncertainty that our ability to stay grounded in our sense of purpose and remain true to our identity is of the utmost importance."

How to achieve purpose alignment

It’s not enough to know the purpose, you need people to connect to it if they’re going to align with it. There needs to be a real sense of purpose that is brought to life at the individual level. 

How do you achieve this?

Make it meaningful.

Nobody wants to be a robot. People want to feel inspired, find meaning and make an impact that matters – it’s in our DNA. 

So, to be meaningful, the purpose needs to have an impact on something people care about. More often than not, this comes back to connecting with humans.

Satya Nadella said it best in his first email to employees in 2014:

“I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives. This is the opportunity that drives each of us at this company.”

If you’re a leader, helping others feel a sense of purpose is a powerful tool to inspire and motivate.

But it takes more than motivational emails. You can’t just talk about purpose – you need to help people see and feel their impact on others and develop their own story about why they love what they do. 

For this to work, you need two things:

1. It needs to be personal. Purpose needs to be felt – it is meant to spark an emotional reaction. For example, you could tell people about the impact the company is having on a charity, or you could take them to see the charity work being done. Which do you think will have more impact?

2. Make it authentic. You need to believe the purpose and act consistently with it. If you don’t walk the walk, nobody will be motivated to do the same. 

Follow the North Star 

What’s the driving force for your team? Meaningful work. When individuals and teams feel aligned to the North Star, they will have a strong sense of belonging and feel inspired to do their best work. And really, what more could you want from your team?

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