Most organizations say that they’re like a family tied together by mutual goals and aspirations. Many employees may expect that there shouldn’t be any conflicts or disagreements within the organization because they’re a family, but that’s exactly what families are — it’s helping each other grow despite personal values and worldviews.
By approaching problems together to arrive at the best solution, more organizations will work in harmony. There may be occasional conflicts here and there, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary in a typical family setting. What’s important is that teamwork and purpose are always involved in every decision-making process.
What Teamwork and Purpose are in Action
A good example of this is the changes that Mr. Seah Moon Ming introduced when he became chairman of the SMRT Corporation in 2017, the leading public transit system in Singapore. Their organization’s main purpose is “To provide safe and convenient transport services to millions of commuters.”
The leader showed just how determined he is in staying true to the organization’s purpose by apologizing to the public about the flaws in the existing transit system. It wasn’t his fault that he inherited unresolved problems, yet he still showed accountability for the inconveniences experienced by commuters.
Afterward, the chairman decided to take a “people-first” approach to his leadership, wherein he put the needs of the people first before anything. Then, he began to look at the deeply-rooted problems and addressed them at their core by working with his employees. Since then, SMRT has only grown to be the transport provider that people know today.
How Teamwork and Purpose can Drive Organizational Growth
An organization’s purpose is the main reason why it exists. It serves as a guide for the organization to work towards something bigger than all the members combined; a purpose that can only benefit the greater good. This means that a purpose-driven organization is not only in it for the profits they can generate in business.
Being a purpose-driven organization means creating a positive impact on society. Of course, you will still be prioritizing the need to generate a profit, but you’re not doing it for the sole benefit of making money for your shareholders; rather, you’re creating avenues for cash flow so that you can continue helping society and helping your employees grow as individuals.
Here are three areas where your teamwork and purpose can help drive organizational growth:
Productivity
When your employees know that what they’re doing can positively impact society, it can encourage them to be more satisfied with their roles and responsibilities. This can lead to job satisfaction which, in turn, can motivate them to become more productive because they’re actively contributing to the betterment of society.
A higher productivity rate can do wonders for a company’s bottom line, especially since it can boost employee morale and strengthen the relationships within the organization. Of course, productivity has to be sustained over time, so it’s always important to return to the organization’s purpose when you’re feeling lost.
Retention
Nowadays, it’s no longer enough for employees to stay in a company solely for monetary gain. They want opportunities to grow as individuals and as professionals in their chosen industries. Aside from that, they also want to work for a company helping them serve a bigger purpose than themselves.
That’s why purpose-driven organizations tend to have higher employee retention rates. This means that even if purpose-driven companies give slightly lower salaries than other companies, the employees are still willing to stay because the purpose they’re serving is more meaningful than anything money can buy.
Engagement
Lastly, since purpose-driven organizations usually participate in the betterment of society by supporting good causes and holding events that benefit the community, the employees can take more active roles outside of the company. They will often go above and beyond to help the community, even if there isn’t a monetary incentive involved.
The teamwork that is birthed from higher employee engagements can create a stronger workplace culture that can positively affect the company’s brand. It will show people looking from the outside that making money isn’t your only motivation in helping the community but that you’re legitimately concerned for the underprivileged and marginalized sectors you’re helping.
By upholding the organization’s values and principles and strengthening the foundations that it’s built upon, it will be much easier for you to tackle any problem that may come your way. This is especially true since you’ll know that your employees will back you up instead of throwing you under the bus in the face of adversities.
