Everyone can contribute to solving the world’s grand challenges, and this could be one of the biggest opportunities of our time—for individuals, for business, and for the benefit of all people around the globe. How can we tap the power of people to fuel high octane impact?
Unleash the magic
Let’s start with your own people. Unlocking potential, creativity, passion and purpose is powerful. Enable your people to be problem solvers and innovators in their own roles, then empower them to look beyond to find solutions. If the collective knowledge, expertise, experience and ideas of people across an organization is tapped, there’s a special magic that can be unleashed.
In my previous role at a global multinational, launching purpose was monumental to the organization’s connection with its people. Individuals connected to purpose as they built essential future skills and the business as a whole fostered innovation and created shared value. Activating purpose stoked engagement and interest inside and outside the company, as people enthusiastically shared creative ideas for making life better for others in society. Giving everyone a voice on our open innovation platform brought out that magic, mobilized action and enabled collaboration.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
—Margaret Mead
Fulfilment is fuel
Research shows that people who are not fulfilled at work are not fulfilled at life. Neuroscience research also proves that humans are hard-wired for altruism. Contributing to more than the bottom line brings so many positive returns and can lead to higher performance, profitability, and a spill-over effect that benefits everyone.
Collaboration counts
Stakeholders outside of your organization can also be the rocket fuel to boost your collaborations and help propel everyone to even bigger wins. Why not consider engaging all possible stakeholders to help maximize results?
- Want to build stickiness with your customers? Invite them to join you to ideate and test ideas together for all-around wins.
- Want to showcase your organization’s leadership and create a powerful network? Create an industry platform for action.
- Want to build sustainable solutions using the strengths of diverse organizations and thought leaders? Convene leaders and partnerships across various sectors.
- Want radical and possibly exponential impact? Think differently and find uncommon partners.
Supercharge your shared value impact
Leveraging business strengths to answer the needs of society in a profitable way is a powerful proposition, and at the heart of creating shared value.
Your people are your sparks, and collaboration inside and outside of your organization fuels your initiatives. Supercharge your impact by leading with purpose to light the way. Empower your people and unleash magic. Encourage radical ideas, uncommon partners, experimentation and innovation. Propel your shared value initiatives to the moon through the power of people—everyone, everywhere, inside and outside of your organization.
Karen Seymour is Chief Purpose Officer of Human at Work, a strategy lab helping organizations in transition and leaders driving change make their transformation stick. Karen is passionate about helping leaders and their teams define and activate their organization’s purpose, enable people to do meaningful work, and contribute to organizations that thrive. If you’d like to learn what goes into activating purpose to get to performance, reach out to Karen and she’ll share how we do it. www.human-at.work.
