A Powerful Way to Build Trust: Align Your Organizational Operations with Your Purpose

Lack of alignment between what is said and how a business operates will quickly derail any attempt to becoming a purposeful brand, and erode trust. Even the most devout believers in a company’s why will quickly become discouraged if the way a company conducts business does not match what it professes to stand for.

To truly become a purposeful brand, a company’s operations and business structure must reflect its purpose. When done well and experiences match what is promised, there are immense benefits: employee engagement rises and clients become more loyal. The more closely aligned a company’s operations are with its Purpose, the more trusted the business.

There are three key operational areas that must be in alignment:

• Business structure
• Company processes, systems, and tools
• All product and service offerings

Business Structure

Scrutinize the current structure to uncover they ways in which it supports or hinders the company’s ability to provide purposeful experiences for all stakeholders. Identify any disconnects. Determine if the right people are in the right positions. Question whether the organization has the necessary capabilities. Try to challenge traditional structural and hierarchical thinking. View the organization with fresh eyes and be open to identifying the ideal structure for best delivering on the company’s purpose.

Company Processes, Systems, And Tools

Next, examine the processes, systems, and tools. This analysis is often overlooked, and many wonder why they stumble when attempting to infuse Purpose into an organization. Just writing or saying the words is not enough. Operationally, make sure there are no legacy systems blocking the organizations efforts. Assess each business process, division, service line, system, and work tools. Question whether or not they currently offer the best and most effective path to purpose. And check to see if the right management system is in place. Do an analysis of how the company recruits, trains, retains, and rewards employees to see if these areas demonstrate the organization’s commitment to its truths. Does everyone in the organization have the right tools and resources necessary to support the Purpose? And do client onboarding, work delivery, customer service, and invoicing processes all align?

All Product And Service Offerings

Then review the company’s offerings to determine whether the things they do and sell every day are in support of the Purpose. Take an objective look at every product and service currently provided and question whether this is the optimum mix. All too often companies add to their offerings without much forethought. Someone comes up with an exciting new idea for expanding the business and everyone jumps on the bandwagon because it seems like a quick way to add to the company’s bottom line. Decide which efforts actually deserve undivided attention, which need to be phased out, or what might be missing altogether—to be able to deliver on the company’s purpose.

Of course, this assessment should go much deeper, but these ideas may stimulate the new thinking necessary for helping a company begin aligning their operations with their reason for existing. Doing this important work offers an organization a much better chance of fulfilling its Purpose while building valuable trust with stakeholders.