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The Purpose Paradox

If the ROI of a purpose-driven brand is undeniable, why do so many companies struggle to see the promised results? They struggle because talking about purpose and truly activating it are two very different things. 

Every business conference out there seems to have someone talking about how powerful purpose is. I am one of those speakers sharing the same thing… because all of that is TRUE. You’ve heard about it, and you’ve likely read the books. In fact, 93% of companies have begun their purpose journey. You want to have an organization that cares about making lives better for others. You want it to matter to your team and your customers too.

The challenge is that very few companies know how to effectively activate purpose in way that yields the results we are read about. Researchers call this struggle The Purpose Paradox.  Statistics show that you are not alone if you’ve tried to implement purpose without seeing dramatic results.

Stated Purpose vs. Activated Purpose

Many companies include documenting their purpose as part of defining the vision of where they want to go and how they want to grow. The gap between identifying your purpose and undertaking the work necessary to activate it within the organization constitutes the purpose paradox. My hope is that we will help you see the gap and the path to move you from Stated to Activated Purpose… for long-term people and business impact.

Challenges Preventing Purpose Activation

Some companies struggle because their employees don’t think you are authentically creating a purpose-led organization. They see it as a PR exercise. This may be because they’ve seen you talk about it, yet nothing really changes in how you demonstrate it. That type of fatigue will hinder any strategy.  

Some companies struggle because they don’t have the resources, time or training to do it well. If you don’t have emotionally compelling branding and messaging related to your purpose, then it will fall flat. If you don’t have the tools and intentional conversations built into your culture system, then your purpose will likely struggle to ever be relevant to your team. 

Another significant reason you may struggle to activate your purpose is that it’s not being measured and reported on regularly. If your purpose does not have ‘purpose metrics’ in your vision and goals, then most likely you won’t make sure it’s happening. Most likely time and effort won’t be allocated. 

Don’t let the Purpose Paradox impact your purpose activation. We’ve invested our lives in making purpose successful for companies like yours. You only get so many opportunities to launch it successfully. We’ve designed proven systems with time-tested processes and tools that will work for you. 

Let’s discuss how we can come alongside you and your team to activate your purpose successfully. 

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