To lead is to inspire and few things rival purpose driven work to inspire greatness.

Mission statements are common. Every organization has one, usually posted somewhere near reception, usually written by a committee. Ask the person at the reception desk underneath it what it means for the work they're doing right now, and you'll likely get a polite shrug.

That's the gap. It's a line-of-sight problem: not every employee can trace what they do today to something that matters. That’s a missed opportunity at elevating a person’s sense of worth and a lost chance to increase motivation and satisfaction.

Here's what that looks like in practice.

Take one hospital's cleaning team. Cleaning is a seen simply as task list - rooms per shift, boxes ticked, performance measured in throughput. Performance was mediocre, turnover was brutal.

In another, the cleaning crew were told what their work meant to the patients: lower infection rates, shorter patient recovery times, offering a direct link between a properly cleaned facility and someone going home sooner. 

Same job, same pay, a world of difference in attitude toward their work and sense of value. The second team knew they were critical part of patient care, and they behaved like it. They flagged problems, took pride in the details, and stayed.

Nothing about the work changed. What changed was whether their work was tied to a purpose that showed a connection to the organization’s mission.  The difference is never the mission statement. It's whether the leader closed the distance between the daily task and the impact it produces.

Many leaders miss this important motivator. Not from indifference, but often from assumption or lack of understanding of its power. Leaders often sit close enough to the mission that the connection feels obvious, so it goes unsaid. Layers down, it often isn't obvious at all. Someone is doing seemingly routine work with no idea of its far-reaching value.

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Something simple to try that can have significant impact on your team members

At your next team meeting open a conversation on the topic of purpose. Ask the question, what breaks if we stop doing what we do?  What changes about our organization’s deliverables if we stop our work?  The conversation will help you understand whether your team can connect their work to the company’s mission and if they see themselves as insignificant or mission critical.  Either way, you’ll embark on a powerful discussion and enhance your team’s motivation by showcasing the importance and value of your team’s work. 

People Power Unlocked goes further into the topic of purpose and offers takeaways for motivating your team through the power of purpose.