Every organization has a vision behind why your organization exists, as well as what your big picture mission is. And when every member of your organization is acutely aware of your “why” and how their work directly contributes to that mission, your team will keep from developing burnout, disenchantment, and detachment from their work.
How important is"why"?
Every organization and every job requires tedious work. Regardless of how much someone loves their job and the field they went into, that original passion can begin to dim as they shuffle through paperwork and the nitty-gritty of their job. But those tedious tasks can be less draining when you are reminded why you’re doing them. Not just in a vague, “this needs to get done so we can do what we do” sense. If any member of your staff is struggling with finding motivation in their work, sit down with them or with their team and draw a clear line from the work they complete to the ultimate goal of your organization. Clearly outline how those specific spreadsheets, emails, and forms work within the whole to carry out a larger, more meaningful task.
Deadlines can be daunting but can be less so when you know exactly what you’re accomplishing by having something done in time. Having mission clarity and knowing why something needs to be done is motivating. When you delegate a task to an employee or staff member, take the extra time to explain what the goal of that task is and how it will contribute to your mission, rather than simply telling them what to do and when to have it done by.
Burnout exists in any organization. Though we have the honor of working alongside many faith-based organizations with strong beliefs, that faith isn’t enough to keep someone at a culturally unhealthy organization that has lost sight of its vision. In fact, if your organization has completely lost sight of meaningful vision, that may be a sign that it’s time for you to move on.
People go to work every day to earn a living, but many of us also work to be part of something bigger, better, newer or more helpful than what existed before. We want to make something superior that will change the world a little or a lot. We want to help people and introduce them to a better way to live.
There are plenty of reasons not to go into business for yourself. It's risky. You might get caught up in debt. You could bruise your reputation. You might even lose everything. Most people who have an entrepreneurial glint also have a unique vision of how they want to do things, and they haven't found anything that executes that same vision. Some of us just need to build things for the heck of it. Some of us are motivated to share a story or product that we genuinely believe will change people's lives. Whatever that reason is, it was stronger than all the reasons not to begin something new, and it's what you should always go back to if you start to feel lost.
Some families have members who do the same jobs generation after generation, whether it's a string of plumbers, preachers or military servants. Those legacies are incredibly meaningful for most families and keep them connected, but there's nothing quite like passing down a successful business to the next generation. Sharing a business is something you can do together, and it's something everyone can be proud of.
Sometimes, we just want to start something from the ground up, because there is no challenge like it. When things are first getting off the ground, entrepreneurs have to become experts in everything, from finance to marketing and everything in between. It's an uphill climb like no other, and genuine entrepreneurs thrive on the drive required to crest that hill. Whatever the longest, worst day throws at you, it's never, ever going to be dull.
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