Uncovering Your Purpose: Navigating Through Values and Sustainability, to Create Impactful Change

I have been exploring the concept of purpose and how it is different from impact and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focuses. It was back in 2014 (or around then) when my business partner and I hosted a lunch during which we discussed Richard Branson's book, Screw Business as Usual. 

In this book, Branson argues that to create a prosperous world for everyone, we need to shift our values from profit to caring for people and communities. He believes that corporations have the operational force and volume of workers to mobilize not just their internal workforces, but also their engaged consumers and wider supply chain to create a movement which is faster and more impactful than trying to convince and educate consumers on a one-to-one level. 

Now, almost ten years later, the concept of CSR or social entrepreneurship has become known as sustainability and ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance) and we have created frameworks around these, reported into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The movement that Branson envisioned is finally here. The goal of creating shared value or collective impact through a redistribution of resources and wealth is not much different from what we want our purpose to be. 

Finding your purpose is the first step in creating a sustainable and meaningful business. It is the driver for your company, its values, its culture, and its impact. Your purpose must be connected to not just your own values, but also to the collective values of your customers, suppliers, and stakeholders. 

It should be embedded deeply into your day-to-day operations and decisions, to truly shape your work and create meaningful and lasting change. 

So, how do you find your purpose?

1. Start with your values: Take the time to really think about what values you hold most important and why. What drives you and your team? 

2. Connect the dots: Once you have identified your values, it’s time to think about how they connect to your customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and the wider world. How can you use your values to help create a positive impact? 

3. Experiment: Experiment with different ways to integrate your values into your business model. Try different approaches to see what works best for you and your team. 

4. Monitor: As you start to integrate your purpose, it’s important to monitor your progress. What works? What doesn’t? What could you be doing.

If you know that you need to move forward but have been on an ever turning circle of ‘how to start’, this is something that we have begun with a workshop that we believe can bring all of this together and set the path forward.  Give us a call.