Core purpose of any organization – is its fundamental reason for being! But what is it? How enduring should this be? Does it ever be fully achieved? Does everyone in an organization realize this? What is the take of dreamer doers when it comes to core purpose of the organization they build? This is a continuous quest as the subject itself!
Last week, there was an induction session for a set of budding entrepreneurs in an EDP program @ a management school in Bangalore. I had this standard question to all 35 participants – What’s the purpose of your venture? Answers, as usual flowed around – Create Wealth for self and others, make lots of money, be own boss, build own empire….
I think while money is important, there is something more to money which makes organizations, whatever they are. I remember the good old dialogue I had with my father. He was always busy building something or the other – business, school, society, bank, or buying things – auto, car, books, tailoring machine,…. all for someone!, with his own or borrowed money!! On top of this, he kept only an account of how much he owed to others – none other way! All he asked them was to be fair to their employees, fear god and help as many people as they can….
I was wondering why he does it this way. I asked him? We are not very rich, neither do we have a lot of assets to distribute, nor he was contesting an election! He always had a simple answer – my purpose in life is to help people have their lives!!!
It took me a long while to understand this perspective. Only after he passed away. For almost three years after he left us, there was one visitor or the other every day, with a bunch of gifts and a handful of cash to return for the favors he/she received from my father. It seems they all had kept accounts diligently and knew that he will not call them. Every time I pass by any of my father’s creations, the smile on the face of people who own/run them and the way they are leading their lives makes me proud… don’t know why.
Imagine a world where every organization has this core purpose of “helping people have their lives”!
Why not???
The base unit of an organization if defined as a family of two, this is true. Core purpose should be helping each other have their lives! Once this is deviated, it does not remain as a successful organization. Extend this to any organization – profit or not-for-profit. No one builds an organization beyond helping each other in the company have their lives – drive to make more money, drive to beat others, drive to lead the world and so on….. when added, compromises this view to an extent enough to create the clutter!
I guess it helps to relook at why we exist once in a while, at least….