Well developed foundations and building blocks anchor structures. Durability is a consequence.
The pyramids in Egypt are a classic case study.
In commerce, organisational structures are not as stable and as enduring. The need for adaptability is recognised and accepted. What is often missing is a core, from which values, virtues, relevance, and resonance emanate, is lacking or deficient. This highlights the need to determine, define and articulate a purpose.
Innovation, technological change, disruption, and outright creativity necessitate malleability, flexibility if you will. Those attributes can be design features which complement, not replace the importance of a business’s foundation.
They seldom necessitate the need to change the foundations, core, and purpose materially and structurally. Broaden and re-orient such, certainly.
Over millennia, countless bridge structures have collapsed. Tolerance, for mobility, was in-built. Permanence was not. Societies and businesses need both.
In recent times religions have seemingly ossified. Modern cult movements have disappeared, arguably by the process of self-destruction. Often the foundation centres on the individual, the founder. Shortened lifecycles and mortality come into play. Such leaders fail to differentiate mortality from the attributes of being eternal.
The overview reflects the words and title of the US radio feature, hosted by John Doremus:
“The Passing Parade”
The speed of that passing is accelerating.
RESPECTING THE CHARTERS
Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards are philosophically given the charter to ensure financial prudence, ensuring persistence, achieving resonance and relevance, and retaining the capacities of growth, innovation, and change.
Typical board compositions and competencies do limit capacities because insufficient emphasis is given to capabilities. Investments in operational and technological hardware are seldom matched with outlays on software, i.e., human beings.
Organisations exist, adapt, develop, and achieve through people. Better people make for better organisations, particularly under good leadership.
However, the influence of each is typically short-term.
“OPEN” BUSINESS
The COVID pandemic has been a prime catalyst for organisations embracing “open” design offices, WFH (working from home), “open” cloud computer systems, “open” multi-channel communication networks and online real-time interactions with suppliers, distributors and collaborating associates.
Less open are delegated authorities, personal interaction (internal and external), risk-taking and resourcing for innovation, change and new products, services, and applications.
As a result, emphasis is given to increased internal efficiencies and productivity.
External effectiveness, founded on relationships, repeat, loyal and referred business, have floundered somewhat. So too has originality.
Not surprisingly, morale is down and attrition throughout the workforce continues to increase.
Better balance between the tactical and the strategic will facilitate greater stability and durability.
DOUBLE HELIX
Beyond the hallowed halls of academia and scientific laboratories few people can attempt to visualise the double helix of their own DNA, the core of their very existence.
Leadership and management teams in commerce exhibit similar characteristics and dispositions. Consequently, entities can “drift” in the marketplace and rapidly expire.
That can, and does, raise justifiable questions among team-members, associates, suppliers, and existing, prospective, and past clients.
Innovations, adaptions and changes to products, services, product/service lines, perform best in the short, intermediate, and longer terms when they are attached to and anchored by strong DNA.
Remember, purpose promotes pride.
TAKE TWO
Invaluable insights were recently gleaned from an unstructured interaction with the leader of a religious-based community group whose prime purpose was to engage with people, many of whom were homeless, unemployed, and dependent (to varying degrees) on a range of drugs.
His and the entity’s endeavour was to have the targeted people re-integrate into society, families, and local communities.
The complexities and vagaries of the pandemic have affected financial supporters, contributing health professionals and the operators of essential infrastructure amenities.
Income was trending down. So too the pool of resources. Reaching out and connecting with those in the targeted audience proved more difficult.
Engaging with all and sundry seems to be a step too far.
An extended session in which the DNA and purpose were reviewed, analysed and tentatively recalibrated, was energising.
The principal activities and resources of the entity were ultimately identified to be and accepted by activities and resources – not the purpose.
What evolved was the realisation that the purpose of the community group was.... purpose.
That is, to provide purpose for the intended recipients, (clients, customers, patients or whoever) was illuminating and provided a purpose to approach and re-approach sponsors, financial supporters, medical and health professionals and infrastructural amenity owners and operators. They felt rewarded and engaged by accepting, endorsing and contributing their purpose to the endeavours.
The recipients responded positively and enjoyed enhanced self-worth because of an acceptance of them having a specific... purpose.
ARRESTING STATEMENT
Websites, submissions, and literature that declare and detail company/entity DNA which centre on relevance, advantages and benefits to existing and prospective clients are compelling in their appeal.
When the focus is external, interest is stimulated, and value is enhanced.
CONCLUSIONS:
In many instances the activities that occupy the time and attention of many seem meaningless. When the purpose is identified, defined, embraced, articulated, and implemented a new, fulfilling realm materialises.
That progress is, well, purposeful. It also underscores the fact that the purpose of a business is seldom, if ever, to make a profit.
That profit is a consequence of attaining and sustaining the purpose. The better and more often you do that, the more profit you make.
Barry Urquhart
Business Strategist
Marketing Focus
M: 041 983 5555
E: Urquhart@marketingfocus.net.au
FOOTNOTE: Complex and confusing. I wrote it that way on purpose … to stimulate your creative juices.