In his now-classic book, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, author Simon Sinek lays out a strong case for why it’s essential for employees to know what they are doing, as well as why they are doing it.
In order for employees to find meaning in their work, they need to understand its importance on a deeper level.
What Is The Why?
Why is meaning and purpose. It’s there to guide you and your employees through the day to day. When your employees know why they are doing something, they are more enthusiastic and dedicated.
So, here are some ways to make sure your employees are connected to the Why of your company every step of the way.
Make Sure Employees Understand Your Strategy
Your employees are there to support your vision. So, it’s important they always understand the trajectory you’re on. You can help them connect the dots and attach more purpose to their daily tasks by mapping out your strategy for them in words they understand.
“Make goals and objectives that your employees can relate to. Include action items and measures that coincide with their daily tasks.” – OnStrategy
Helping employees understand how they contribute to the overall company growth is an important part of making sure they hear your Why loud and clear.
Give Meaning To Even Small Tasks
“While we all want to find a level of meaning and purpose in our work, often, some fraction of our time has to be spent doing tasks that have no intrinsic meaning and serve no deeper purpose than helping to keep the workplace trains running.” – Harvard Business Review
Every company has entry and low level tasks needing to be completed. While it’s tedious work, it still needs to get done.
This is why it’s so important to help employees find intrinsic value in even the smallest of tasks. This often means connecting them to the bigger picture. Employees who have more meaning in their work are more efficient and passionate about their jobs.
So, knowing the Why when it comes to even small tasks will help your team get through all the hours of tedious but necessary gruntwork.
Measure Results
Your employee’s capacity to understand your Why will show through in their results. Measuring output is one of the easiest ways to find out if your employees understand the purpose of what they are doing.
“Why is it that some people can be extraordinarily well-paid and work in pampered settings but feel empty, while others can work in the sewers of New York City and feel fulfilled? Part of the answer is purpose.” – Harvard Business Review
When your company has strong core values and a sense of purpose, you’re better able to attach meaning to the work.
The issue of unhappy or underperforming employees is one which affects every modern business. This is often because the What you do, and Why you do it become disconnected. So, make sure your employees are always tending to work that is both meaningful and purposeful and you’re bound to see an improvement in morale!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
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