Stop Hiding Behind Purpose

Struggling with engagement? Find your purpose. Struggling with retention? Find your purpose. Struggling with performance? You guessed it.

Purpose has become the default prescription for almost every culture problem in business. I think that's a trap.

It's not that purpose is always unhelpful. But in many organisations, it's been built as a marketing position rather than a cultural one. A line for the website. A slide in the induction deck. Something to point to rather than something to live by.

The case for purpose often leans on the idea that it speaks to some deeper, more emotional part of the brain than ordinary strategy does. It's a compelling story, but the science is far shakier than most people realise.

Here's what I think is much more likely to anchor a culture. A genuinely clear vision that people can see and understand. And values that are lived, breathed and baked into how the business works.

Purpose makes a good slide. Vision and values create a culture that sticks.