{"id":1683,"date":"2015-11-19T21:29:08","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T20:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1683"},"modified":"2015-11-20T08:51:12","modified_gmt":"2015-11-20T07:51:12","slug":"acting-on-purpose-a-twin-edged-sword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1683","title":{"rendered":"Acting On Purpose: A Twin-Edged Sword"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture the scene. \u00a0A young child who has done something wrong. \u00a0A parent standing tall over the child looking on in disgust or anger. \u00a0The young child cowering, knowing that they should not have done it – whatever the act was. \u00a0The parent erupting: \u201cYou did it on purpose, didn\u2019t you?”<\/p>\n

Doing something on purpose, in this case, is doubly bad. \u00a0It adds to the criminal act because it was “on purpose”. \u00a0It is the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder. \u00a0Somehow, when a crime is committed, when it is done \u201con purpose\u201d, then it is so much worse and carries a heavier penalty.
\nPicture another scene. \u00a0A company gets amazing results. \u00a0Profits are up. \u00a0Revenues are up. \u00a0The workforce has high morale. \u00a0The CEO is asked: \u201cWhy are you are doing so well? \u00a0How did you make so much profit\u201d \u00a0He or she answers \u201cOur primary objective isn\u2019t to make a profit – although it is nice to make a profit so we can develop better services for you. \u00a0The main reason that we are doing so well is that we are all in service for a higher purpose\u201d.<\/p>\n

Think of some recent technology successes: Google and Apple. \u00a0Each one highly profitable, yet much more importantly, each one serves a higher purpose. \u00a0“Do no evil\u201d. \u00a0\u201cPutting a ding in the Universe\u201d.\u00a0 Interestingly, in its early days, Microsoft had the mission of putting \u201ca computer on every desk and in every home\u201d. \u00a0In 2013, Microsoft changed its mission to \u201cmorph from a software company to a devices and services company\u201d. \u00a0In doing so, their purpose became clouded (literally) in confused corporate-speak and financial engineering. \u00a0As soon as the purpose (or mission) is framed in terms of profit or puts shareholder returns above everything else, the writing is on the wall that the organisation to become less successful.<\/p>\n

\"AdobeStock_78725537\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Such a powerful phrase it is, then. “On Purpose”. \u00a0It shows premeditated intent. \u00a0Driven by purposeful desire, it can create extraordinarily beautiful things. \u00a0It also drives people to follow great leaders – not because of the ego or personality of the leader, but because the whole tribe\/team\/organisation believes in a higher purpose beyond the power of a single human being. \u00a0It is why great religions have such enormous followings. \u00a0Abraham, Buddha, Christ and Mohammed. \u00a0Each, in their own way, started a religion which today still have many followers.<\/p>\n

Purpose also drives revolution and could be seen as the lifeblood of change. \u00a0The events in Paris last week were a tragedy, attacking the French libertarian belief system to its core. \u00a0The repercussions are still to be played out in terms of hardening European borders, increasing the checks on people travelling to and from Europe as well as the need to control the mass migration to Europe from North Africa and the Middle East. \u00a0In some cases, it is a cash of ideas, ideals and purposeful intent. \u00a0In another, it is driven by a desire to find a better life for yourself and those who depend upon you.<\/p>\n

However hard it is to imagine\u00a0 a cause is so strong for someone to want to blow themselves up in martyrdom, history shows that there is nothing new to such an extreme act. \u00a0Religions are full of martyrs – often given god-like attributes after their demise. \u00a0For someone to die \u201con purpose\u201d or in total alignment with their belief system is somehow at the extreme end of heroism and martyrdom.
\nBack to the first scene that I started with at the start of this piece. \u00a0What is most interesting is whether you saw yourself as the child, the parent or an onlooker? \u00a0Think about it!<\/p>\n

At an individual level, many of my close friends in their late forties or early-mid fifties are in transition from a full-time career in corporate life to a much less secure \u201cportfolio career\u201d in post-corporate life. \u00a0Is it at times like this that you really do question your own purpose in life. \u00a0You think \u201cwhat is this all about?\u201d. \u00a0“Why did I spend over 10\/20\/30 years working for such-and-such a cause and end up with \u2026..?\u201d \u00a0It is a time for reflection and searching for a deeper meaning in your own life so that it can become more purposeful.<\/p>\n

In thinking about your own purpose, I like to think of an analogy with the Global Positioning System or GPS. \u00a0I used to do offshore sailing back in the 1980s and early \u201890s – when the navigation was all based on charts using pencils and compasses and triangulation to work out where you are. \u00a0How the world has changed! \u00a0Via the GPS system, you can now know exactly where you are – even if it is thick fog outside. \u00a0A Guiding Purpose Statement<\/strong>\u00a0(or GPS) should do the same for you at major transitions in your life.<\/p>\n

\"Gps<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the next few weeks, I am creating a programme to go deeper into some of these ideas. \u00a0If you would like to find out more, please do email me at: lorne(at)objectivedesigners(dot)com and I will send you an outline of what I am thinking about – plus a few questions that might help us create something that is a bit different and special.<\/p>\n

The main purpose is to create a group that can support \u00a0folk as they transition from a more structured (corporate) part of their lives to a portfolio career where you have to take more personal risks and seek deeper meaning in what it is you do and how you express yourself. \u00a0I\u2019ve been through it myself – and have some lessons I would like to share – but I am sure many readers will also have equally valid ideas and suggestions to help others through this period of their lives.<\/p>\n

By the way, on my search for more meaning and purpose, I have come up with my own GPS: “To help people communicate more effectively\u201d. \u00a0It helps me to bridge my interests in telecommunications, media, \u00a0marketing and conversational flow between systems. \u00a0I\u2019m currently refining it to be a little more tangible, but it will do for the moment. \u00a0If I can help you in this mission – or, indeed if you can help me become more effective in my mission, please also email me!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Picture the scene. \u00a0A young child who has done something wrong. \u00a0A parent standing tall over the child looking on in disgust or anger. \u00a0The young child cowering, knowing that they should not have done it – whatever the act was. \u00a0The parent erupting: \u201cYou did it on purpose, didn\u2019t you?” Doing something on purpose, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Acting On Purpose: A Twin-Edged Sword”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[42,39,41,40,103,68,86,95,36,51,57],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DQGK-r9","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1259,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1259","url_meta":{"origin":1683,"position":0},"title":"The Ultimate Purpose of a Bee","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"30\/05\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Sunday, I took my friend Sam to visit my bees. \u00a0He has been trying to keep bees for three years - but to no avail. \u00a0The last swarm that I gave him on his birthday two years died off the first winter he had them. And so it was,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Beelore"","block_context":{"text":"Beelore","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":825,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=825","url_meta":{"origin":1683,"position":1},"title":"Creating Purpose and Meaning","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"12\/01\/2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Following on from the popular\u00a0RSAnimate video of Dan Pink's great lecture describing the three attributes that really motivate people: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose, I came across an equally impressive piece of work by\u00a0Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer in this month's McKinsey Quarterly. \u00a0If you don't already subscribe, it is well\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Attention"","block_context":{"text":"Attention","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=78"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1693,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1693","url_meta":{"origin":1683,"position":2},"title":"Give Thanks! Fire, Aim, Ready.","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"26\/11\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week we explored what it was to be \"on purpose\u201d. \u00a0The various meanings of\u00a0the\u00a0word and the importance of living a\u00a0purposeful\u00a0life or working within a purposeful organisation. \u00a0It has been very encouraging that so many readers have commented on the post and that the ideas resonated with many of you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Attention"","block_context":{"text":"Attention","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=78"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.licdn.com\/mpr\/mpr\/shrinknp_800_800\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAO8AAAAJDk4YWI5YjcyLTBmNWQtNDk2OS04Njk5LTBmN2EzMjBhZTY5OQ.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1145,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1145","url_meta":{"origin":1683,"position":3},"title":"Beehives and Business Colonies","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"05\/12\/2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I took part of the afternoon off yesterday to sort out a friend's beehive. \u00a0He had started keeping bees earlier this year, having been given a new hive by his parents for his birthday. \u00a0After two inspections he called for help for me to take them away. \u00a0The bees had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Beelore"","block_context":{"text":"Beelore","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lornemitchell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Business-Colony-302.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":753,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=753","url_meta":{"origin":1683,"position":4},"title":"Occupy Everywhere!","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"01\/12\/2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I had a meeting early yesterday morning at the Frontline Club in Paddington. 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So, what is the single most important ingredient of a great product launch? \u00a0We need\u00a0to look no further than the film (or movie) industry - and to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=69"},"img":{"alt_text":"Our Story","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lornemitchell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Our-Story-300x172.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1683"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1691,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions\/1691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}