Sixty-Minute Jump Start for Developing a Purpose Statement
What is a purpose statement?
A purpose statement describes why your group or function exists. It is a short, inspiring statement that describes what services you provide (your business), identifies who receives your services (key constituents), and describes how these services are provided (values). If you think of a vision as where you want to be going—your destination—then a purpose statement describes how you will get there.
Questions to consider
• What do we do? • For whom? • How?
Step One—Overview of the entire activity (5 minutes)
Outcome Make sure everyone involved understands that the outcome for this 60 minute activity is to come up with the raw ingredients for your purpose statement: —What we do (action verbs) —For whom (constituents) —How (core values) This activity is only the first step toward your group’s purpose statement. The raw ingredients generated today will need to be recombined and polished over time until the purpose statement accurately describes why your group or function exists. Equipment • Sixty quiet, uninterrupted minutes in a pleasant setting. • A way to record all ideas (computer or paper if you’re working alone or with one other person, flipcharts/markers/tape for more than two)
Purpose Statement • Center for Organizational Effectiveness • UC Berkeley • 2001
1
Step 2—Explore the question, “What do we do?” (10 minutes)
Overview Quickly create a list of all the things that are done in your group’s area of responsibility. The purpose of this brainstorm is to generate as much information as possible, so no discussion, censoring, or debating (even with yourself!) at this stage. Phrases at this stage are often along the lines of: “We review XYZ” “We attend meetings” “We solve ABC” “We answer DEF” “We make sure that GHI happens” “We help students” Notice the suggested verb/noun sequence—We [verb] [noun]. Tip If you’re brainstorming with other people, it’s very helpful to record all ideas on flipchart paper using the speaker’s exact words. Hang all the paper up so that at the end of the brainstorm everyone can see everything. As long and complete a list (as is possible 10 minutes) of all the things your group does.
Sample
Outcome
Step Three—Make the most of active verbs (10 minutes)
Overview Active verbs speak volumes about what you focus on in your work. First, step back so that everyone can see all the ideas that were generated during the brainstorm. Then begin to hunt for verbs and underline every verb that is discovered in the list. Finally step back so that everyone can absorb the new verb picture. Some new, active verbs might even emerge. Active verbs speak volumes about what you focus on in your work. “We review XYZ” “We attend meetings” “We solve ABC” “We answer DEF” “We make sure that GHI happens” “We help students” might become “We advocate for students”
Purpose Statement • Center for Organizational Effectiveness • UC Berkeley • 2001 2
Samples
Outcome
The brainstorm list with all verbs underlined and additional descriptive action verbs identified. I learned this technique from Molly Peacock, the author of How to Read a Poem. It works for poems and for purpose statements!
Note
Step Three—Explore the question, “For whom?” (15 minutes)
Overview Identify the specific people or group(s) for whom your group does each action—your constituents. We advocate for graduate students. A second list identifying all of your key constituents.
Sample Outcome
Step Four—Explore the question, “How?” (10 minutes)
Overview Take five minutes for everyone to think individually about how to they would describe their approach to work and what values are important to them in how they do their work. People can also think about what they contribute to this work, what value they add. Then take five minutes to create a list with all of these value words. The leader might identify “risk taking” and “decision making.” A third list with words that describe how people work.
Sample Outcome
Step Five—Recombine the ingredients (10 minutes)
Overview Begin recombinant work. This stage is reminiscent of a children’s flip book that lets the reader mix and match different animal heads, middles, and tails. Pick a couple of exciting verbs and one or two key constituents and try to make a sentence or two. Then try using a few different verbs. You might find that the group needs to move up a level to more overarching verbs. Try out key constituents until you get the right mix. Try out a couple of values to test how they sound. After the energy winds down, stop. Have someone transcribe Steps Two-Five and let it sit for a bit (this might be a day or two or
Purpose Statement • Center for Organizational Effectiveness • UC Berkeley • 2001
3
even a week or two, but not much longer). Ask everyone to keep their eyes open for how other groups describe their purpose and bring those they like back to the group. Advertising tag lines brilliantly capture thought and emotion in very few words…Think Different…Just Do It…etc. Keep playing with the wording until it clicks! During the planning process, purpose statements might need to be revised to address significant changes in focus, direction, etc. Group’s often draft their purpose statement then uncover new information that influences the next draft
Two Variations
1. If you’d like to spark people’s creativity and have some laughs at the beginning of the activity, spend 10 minutes trying to come up with what the people your group serves might say about you on a bumper sticker (the good stuff) and on a picket sign (the not so good stuff). Pairs or small groups can quickly generate sample bumper stickers and picket signs using on 8 ½ x 11” paper and then share their ideas with the entire group. 2. It’s great for work groups to spend more time talking about the values, the “how.”
Sample Purpose Statement
Below is an organizational purpose statement from the Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Lab at UC Berkeley. Using the questions and the process described above, this was developed over the course of several meetings with many, many iterations.
We share the wonder of our Universe by building bridges between scientists, students, educators, and the public, making space science discovery accessible to all.
--Center for Science Education http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/ Process and materials created by: Katherine Mitchell, Organizational Development Consultant Center for Organizational Effectiveness, University of California, Berkeley ucbcore@uclink.berkeley.edu 510-642-0707
Purpose Statement • Center for Organizational Effectiveness • UC Berkeley • 2001
4