Bridging Team Building with the Organizational Purpose

Michael Hyatt-Evenson, Sr. Director of Learning and Organizational Development at First Tech Federal Credit Union

Much has been documented on the importance of having ‘purpose’ in the workplace, particularly since the pandemic when many employees took the opportunity to scrutinize their careers and workplaces. A study by McKinsey tells us that 82 percent of employees agree that the company they work with should have a purpose. The same study tells us how two-thirds of employees say their purpose is defined by their work! In my mind, this is a game-changer as most employees define a large part of their personal identity by what they do for a living.

What does this have to do with team building? It begins with the organization having a purpose and ensuring that employees are aware and understand it. While that’s great, it is not enough. Just because an employee knows and understands the purpose doesn’t necessarily mean that it gives THEM purpose. McDonald’s purpose is “to feed and foster communities.” Other company goals include, “We bring the potential of people, nature and technology together to make life better,” and “We’re dedicated to inspiring, protecting and restoring your dream.” All of those sound wonderful, but what does that mean to an employee? What does that mean to their role and department?

This is our opportunity as leaders of teams and individuals and the connection between purpose and team building. Construct both a team and personal purpose, then challenge your team to articulate it. What is the connection between your team’s day-to-day activities and your organization’s purpose, mission, vision and strategy? Construct a simple one or two-sentence statement of purpose for your team that makes this connection.

“Communicate in your voice and with your meaning the purpose as a leader and employee of the organization.”

My organization’s vision is to be "America’s Most Admired Credit Union.” How do we contribute that to L&D? We build a culture of development where employees can grow their careers at First Tech. That is my team’s purpose statement – our “North Star.” This makes that connection of our day-to-day activities with the vision and how we add to employee engagement, retention, elevated skills and member support. Then, communicate this purpose and do it time and again. Make it part of your day-to-day activities and even your documents and content. Challenge your team to make the connection to their day-to-day.

In addition to the driving purpose for the team, this helps communicate your team’s value to other teams within the organization and communicate a strong message in recruiting and hiring staff. But that is not enough; we still need to make this personal.

Communicate in your voice and with your meaning the purpose as a leader and employee of the organization. It could be different or a variation of the company's purpose. As an L&D professional, my non-eloquent purpose is to ‘help employees be successful and grow in their careers.’ This means I am motivated by seeing employees (my customers) grow, evolve, progress and get promoted through their careers. While this supports our larger company and team purpose, this is highly personal and is the thing that motivates and drives me to come to work every day. Importantly, it’s not enough to state this once and assume your team will remember. Your team must see it in your being, in your language, and your enthusiasm for your work.

Finally, get your employees to construct their purpose statement. What is their why? Looking at that McKinsey statistic, this can be the purpose that inspires employees to come to work every day. It can inspire them to endure tribulation and change. It gives us fuel, as leaders, to remind them of their purpose and connection to their job and the organization. Most importantly, it can become the key to the elusive employee engagement which, according to McKinsey, is all about purpose.