Leader, 3 Ways To Make Sure Your Purpose Is Not Lost — Purpose > Process

Purpose > Process.

That is something we need to constantly remind ourselves. We are often tempted to focus on the process, which is needed, but the purpose can get lost as we shift our focus to work out the process.

Why is this important for an organizational leader?

At the end of the day, we are judged on our results. We are not judged on having an awesome process. If the process does not deliver on the purpose, then we don’t win. We need to ensure the process we build enables us to activate and deliver on the purpose.

Purpose is answering the questions, why are we doing this in the first place? What are we expecting to get out of this? What are our outcomes, objectives and value we want to create by doing this? How do we know if we are successful? What is our “why”?

I had a recent experience where I ran into this challenge and was reminded of the importance of ensuring we don’t lose sight of the purpose.

We were ideating on the future of performance management within the organization. We knew we wanted to transform the way we drive performance conversations and the overall performance management model, so we actually see the impact on people’s growth and overall team performance. Our current performance management process is most likely like most companies, but it really wasn’t working.

Through the years, the focus had shifted to the process and the purpose was lost. Team leaders viewed the annual performance review and a “checkbox” exercise they had to do because HR was making them do it. The process conversations revolved around which questions to ask, the annual review schedule, how long to give team leaders to make their submissions, the calibration process, etc. In the midst of these discussions, the purpose was lost and the intended result from doing it all was not being achieved.

Our team leaders dreaded the first quarter of every year because they knew they had to go through this process while seeing little value from the investment. People viewed it as the needed step to get to the annual merit conversation and if they would get a raise this year. The purpose was lost. Performance conversations were not happening consistently and performance growth was not the primary focus. All this ultimately tied back to business performance and how well we were doing moving our vision forward.

We knew there needed to be change. Rather, there needed to be transformation. A deconstruction of one way of doing something and the reconstructing of something new. But we also knew we can’t lose sight of the purpose as we focus on the process. We needed guardrails and safeguards to remind us of our purpose so we can build something and maintain something that delivered on the reason it was created in the first place.

Here are (3) tips I was reminded of through this experience that will help us keep in mind the purpose > process.

State It Simply

The purpose for which you are doing something should be both portable and memorable. People on your team need to be able to understand it, memorize it and articulate it we ease. If your purpose statement is 200 words, most likely your team will struggle to remember it and lose sight of it. Take time to craft a purpose statement that is easy to remember and can be stated simply by everyone on your team. This will help when you circle back around to validate if you achieved the purpose or not.

Repeat It Often

A purpose not often repeated is quickly forgotten. If the only time you ever talk about your purpose for doing something, like performance reviews in my example, is when you first launch something, then you will most likely lose sight of your purpose. In the end, you might not achieve what you are looking to gain from doing what you’re planning to do. Take time to repeat your purpose often. Start your discussions with a reminder of your purpose. Build something visual you can keep in front of those on your team to remind them why you are doing what you are doing.

You can never repeat your purpose too often. It is an act of memorization and the more you repeat it, the more it is top of mind for those on your team. Repeating it often will help you not lose sight of it as you execute on your processes.

What’s Measured is Managed

We manage what we measure. We adapt our behaviors to focus on what we measure. If that is true, you need to define metrics you can use that aligns with your purpose. You can use these along the way to not only track how you are doing, but also ensure you are driving meaningful action that aligns with your purpose. For example, if elevating someone’s performance is the purpose, then the metric should not be who completed the annual review form and submitted it. You would need to rethink the metric being used so it helps you measure if a person’s performance is elevating. That becomes the focus and allows you to keep the purpose in your front sights.

Remember, purpose > process and it’s the fulfilling the purpose you are after in the first place. Spend time investing in actions that keep the purpose visible and help you deliver your business results as a team leader. It’s a win-win.