Purpose at the Task Level

"I know you all are really busy but the client needs this done before Monday, so if everyone can work late for the next two days ... that would be great, thanks."

Have you ever heard anything like that? Ever said anything like that? It might work, it might not. Depends on the audience. If that is what you might say all the time, to everyone, chances are it will hardly ever work. It sounds a little bit to me like Lumberg in the movie Office Space (20th Century Fox, 1999). It is not personalized and probably motivating to nobody.

Mission statements may not matter, but missions do. Purpose matters, even at the micro level. Why is it some of us can feel pride about doing mundane tasks where as others might balk? It's not about the level the person is. I have seen managing partners and CEOs perform some of the most simple tasks with great pride.

Corporate purpose is hard to "incorporate" into every employee all the time. That is why corporate mission statements are more difficult to be used as an across the board "fuel" tool at a micro (task) level. What fuels one person, might not fuel another. It is about personal, authentic purpose and that takes real leadership ... personalized motivation and "purpose-uncovering".... even personalized purpose uncovering. Try saying that three times fast.

Some final questions:

How do you look for ways to personally motivate your employees and colleagues? Can you see unlimited potential from your staff if they are highly motivated and purpose driven?

Do you feel everyone is motivated the same way?

How can you make the time to look out for their growth and personal motivation before delegating most tasks?

Should the blogger/author just shut up and stop telling us we have to hold hands with our staff or is there something to this?

"If you put a gun to the heads of your employees and said, recite our mission statement or die, they'd all be dead." - Jeffrey Gitomer