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THE NEW WORK PLAYBOOK · July 30 · 14 min

Purpose and Direction

The Reflection Episode on Establishing Purpose and Giving Direction In this episode: Why hundreds of thousands of people keep publishing podcasts when every rational measure says they shouldn't, and what that says about the effort no target has ever bought. Practice one, the line of sight: three questions answered on one job, the conversation where you compare your answers with the person doing the work, and bringing back what the people served actually said. The difference between sense giving, which is a leader's work, and sense making, which stays with the person doing the job. The five sources people draw meaning from, and why knowing which one matters to the person in front of you changes how you invest in them. Practice two, five moves for giving direction: agreeing what good looks like, naming what's fixed and what's flexible, being available without hovering, matching support to the person, and protecting your team's focus. Connect with me: LinkedIn Instagram Website Sources: Boswell, W. R. Aligning employees with the organization's strategic objectives: out of "line of sight", out of mind. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2006, 17(9). Grant, A. M., Campbell, E. M., Chen, G., Cottone, K., Lapedis, D., and Lee, K. Impact and the art of motivation maintenance: The effects of contact with beneficiaries on persistence behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2007, 103(1). Gioia, D. A., and Chittipeddi, K. Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change initiation. Strategic Management Journal, 1991, 12(6). Dhingra, N., Samo, A., Schaninger, B., and Schrimper, M. Help your employees find purpose, or watch them leave. McKinsey & Company, 5 April 2021.

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The Reflection Episode on Establishing Purpose and Giving Direction

In this episode:

  • Why hundreds of thousands of people keep publishing podcasts when every rational measure says they shouldn't, and what that says about the effort no target has ever bought.
  • Practice one, the line of sight: three questions answered on one job, the conversation where you compare your answers with the person doing the work, and bringing back what the people served actually said.
  • The difference between sense giving, which is a leader's work, and sense making, which stays with the person doing the job.
  • The five sources people draw meaning from, and why knowing which one matters to the person in front of you changes how you invest in them.
  • Practice two, five moves for giving direction: agreeing what good looks like, naming what's fixed and what's flexible, being available without hovering, matching support to the person, and protecting your team's focus.

Connect with me: LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

Sources: Boswell, W. R. Aligning employees with the organization's strategic objectives: out of "line of sight", out of mind. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2006, 17(9). Grant, A. M., Campbell, E. M., Chen, G., Cottone, K., Lapedis, D., and Lee, K. Impact and the art of motivation maintenance: The effects of contact with beneficiaries on persistence behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2007, 103(1). Gioia, D. A., and Chittipeddi, K. Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change initiation. Strategic Management Journal, 1991, 12(6). Dhingra, N., Samo, A., Schaninger, B., and Schrimper, M. Help your employees find purpose, or watch them leave. McKinsey & Company, 5 April 2021.

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