The Purpose of Purpose

One of the best parts of being in a consultancy based business is the opportunity to visit and work in other client offices and buildings throughout the globe.  This morning was Manchester, and the 6 floor offices of a global travel based business with funky meeting rooms, great co-working spaces and a beach themed café.  What impressed me most alongside the Cave (!), was the attitude and approach of the security-guard-come-receptionist who actually didn’t work in those great creative spaces.

In our brief chat post my meeting, he enthused about the building, the café, the food quality and the people who passed his desk.

And then he shared with me his purpose (thou he didn’t call it that)

“Many people enter the building harassed and hurried because of traffic.  Or stressed because of worrying about their meeting.  I see my job as getting them from the revolving door to the elevator door with a smile… lifting their stresses and putting them in a better place.”

What amazing clarity and sense of purpose.  What an impact he must have on visitors to that building.

That’s not his job description, or a result of a competency framework or development programme. That’s his individual perspective, his personal engagement and contribution to what many would see as an unfulfilling role.

What if every individual in your organization had that passion and clarify?  How different would your organization be?