On Purpose: What is your mission?

“We’re on a mission from God!”

The Blues Brothers

Mission and purpose seem almost interchangeable. If you do a little research on your own you will find that many businesses and organisations use either term in some way to describe the essence of what they do. Cutting my teeth in leadership development back in the ’90’s, it seems everyone had to come up with a purpose statement, broadcasting it everywhere and on everything.

There is both good and bad in doing this.

Good: You take the time to review and reflect on what it means to be…you. Why do you do anything? What is your basis for what makes you, you? This of course applies to you as an individual or as an orginisation.

Bad: The focus on the purpose statement is that it may not express your mission in a timeless manner. It may also not truly define the foundation of what you represent, instead it focuses on a purpose for this moment in time.

We will look at how you define purpose a little later, but for now, we are looking at something a little more organic. Your mission. In the video you will see how I describe my mission, based on my values, as it is the common thread in everything I do. When I consider how I fit into a role or situation, my mission as a person needs to fit the purpose.

So, watch the video and think about what mission means to you. Use it in a group, on your own, as part of a team discussion. And then put it to work! I have material available to continue the discussion or we can set up some time to help you discern next steps.