What We’re Reading: The Purpose Effect by Dan Pontefract

The New Year is always a time for reflection, and more often than not, this can lead to us reevaluating what things have been bringing us purpose in our life and where in our lives this purpose can be found. This is where The Purpose Effect: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization by Dan Pontefract comes into play.

Dan is a leadership and culture change strategist, a keynote speaker with over two decades of experience at companies such as SAP, TELUS, and Business Objects, and an author to a number of bestselling books.

In his book The Purpose Effect, Dan combines his years of experience with swathes of research on employee engagement to create a work about the three crucial areas of purpose that result in the Purpose Effect: individual, workplace role, and organizational. 

Purpose-driven organizations focus on more than just profits. They align personal, organizational, and role-based purposes, benefiting both employees and society. When these elements align, employees feel fulfilled and engaged, contributing towards better work. If there is a mismatch between an employee’s personal purpose and the organization’s goals, it can ultimately lead to dissatisfaction.

This is where the Purpose Effect comes in, and it arises from three main factors:

1. Personal Sense of Purpose: Employees need to have a motivating purpose. This involves growth, defining life goals, and maintaining ethical behavior. Employees should be continually asking themselves how they are evolving and how they want to be perceived at work.
2. Organizational Purpose: This defines why the company exists. It reflects the company’s principles, ethics, culture, and commitment to fair practices. Fair compensation, performance management, and recognition are essential for aligning employees with a company’s purpose.
3. Role-Based Purpose: Each employee’s role must align with their personal and organizational purpose. When employees see their work as a ‘calling’, they are more likely to engage with said work.

Dan’s book teaches employers how they can find what he dubs the ‘sweet spot’ – this is the intersection of personal, organizational, and role purposes. By achieving this alignment, leaders will be able to foster a community spirit within the organization that will lead to a more productive, motivated workforce, as a company without a clear purpose may struggle to attract and retain top talent.

If you would like to discuss how we can help implement the best strategies to achieve the Purpose Effect, please get in touch with us today!

In the meantime, be sure to grab a copy of The Purpose Effect – you can head over here for the US and here for the UK.