Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Purpose”
At each extreme of a pendulum’s swing, there’s a moment of pause. It’s the briefest possible moment of stasis, when movement halts, and all that’s left is potential. It’s mesmerizing to watch, trying to catch that moment before the pendulum falls again, and swings to its opposite extreme. It’s an apt metaphor for responsible business: If the business sector is set at one …
It’s been a long time since I cried over a book. The last time was after I closed the last page of The Kite Runner. I could sympathize so deeply with the protagonist that I felt the last sentence reach out like a fist and hit me squarely in the chest. Last week, I felt the same thump as I …
On a few occasions during my career, I’ve been fortunate to find myself working on projects that ignited my passion, with teammates who became lifelong friends. Once each month or so, I get together with two of those friends for what is always a meaningful conversation. Bruce was my first boss post-university. Incredibly creative, with a limitless energy that I …
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This oft-quoted proverb seems useful on its face, but for me, it’s always opened a question…. What if we need to go a long way quickly? It’s a valuable question both on our approach in life planning and in business strategy. ‘Strategy’ has an …
“Purpose” is the flavour of the month. It’s all over the business press: everyone has a story about their purpose, and acknowledges the importance of purpose and values in managing their organizations, attracting talent, and developing brands. Organizations in the finance, health and social sectors, where achieving business and social impacts are implicitly part of the job, are looking for …
Last summer, we were working with a new client to develop their next strategic plan. They already knew what would occupy most of their next two years, so we were focused on 2021 onwards—starting with a ten-year vision. It was like pulling teeth. We were facilitating a retreat with the board of directors and senior management, a smart, highly capable …
“Engagement drives motivation. Motivation drives performance,” said every HR manager, ever. Because this truth lies at the heart of all HR programmes: engaged staff perform better. The data back this up. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, business units in the top quartile on engagement are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable than those in the …
“I’m going to teach you something you may not want to learn.” Boom. Quite a pronouncement. Not a question, but a statement. Said with an air of warning and determination. It hung in the air like a stormcloud. This was going to hurt…. Yet there was also an undercurrent of assurance, even caring, perhaps. Should that have been surprising? After …
JP Morgan Chase recently hosted an intimate inclusive economy event in Canary Wharf, in the heart of London’s business district. I arrived promptly at 9:30am and stood with a dozen strangers waiting to ride the very swanky elevator 31 floors into the sky. That’s when the butterfly arrived…. There we were, standing in the lobby, when the monarch’s gorgeous, orange …
