The panel from our purpose event explain what purpose means to them, both professionally and personally.
For Managing Partner at Kingsley Napley Matt Meyer, purpose is values based. This is something he feels and shares in common with others. It’s mainly about strategy and leadership. He considered how purpose and culture overlap: purpose is about an organisation’s mission, whereas culture is what it feels like to be part of that organisation. He asks, how do we glue this together? He believes that together, purpose and culture create “the thread within our organisation that joins us all up and gets us engaged and motivated.”
“Purpose and culture are the thread within our organisation that joins us all up and gets us engaged and motivated”
Mark Evans, President of the Law Society, explained that professionally speaking, his purpose is around how he can lead the Law Society to best promote and support solicitors. He lists his three themes for his year in office: having a profession that is fit for the future, championing our members, and supporting wellbeing.
“Having a profession that is fit for the future, championing our members, and supporting wellbeing.”
Joint Managing Partner of Lewis Silkin Jo Farmer’s description was particularly apt: “Purpose, professionally and personally, is the things that you do when no one’s watching.” Her personal purpose is to open doors in ways that weren’t always open to her, as she was coming through the profession. She describes purpose as being linked to culture and culture is not just what you put on your website, not what you say to your new recruits, not what you say in a town hall, but is “the worst behaviour that you’re prepared to tolerate in an organisation.”
“Purpose, professionally and personally, is the things that you do when no one’s watching.”
Chris Macfarlane links his purpose strongly to his role as VP at Peloton, with a strong purpose of mission that comes through everything that they try to do, and empowering people to live “strong, long, and happy,” He explains that they bring their values and culture back to this mission statement. He emphasizes values: “Purpose is around helping teams to grow, helping individuals to grow, helping people come into the profession who may not have had the opportunity to do that, but also doing it in a kind and respectful way.”
“Purpose is around helping teams to grow, helping individuals to grow, helping people come into the profession who may not have had the opportunity to do that, but also doing it in a kind and respectful way.”
As Global Head of Employer Brand at Unilever, Kelly Lane notes that she has changed her mind about purpose. Previously, she thought it was about why you go to work, and why you do what you do. Following a frank conversation with her four-year-old daughter, she now believes that your personal purpose should be how you make a difference to the people around you, no matter what you do – whether you sell soap, or work in a legal field, or a hospital. From a professional and more marketing-based point of view, purpose should be why your brand matters and how it can really make a difference to the people that need it, alongside also making a profit.
“Purpose should be how you make a difference to the people around you, no matter what you do.”
