Purpose Makes the Intangible Tangible

The work of a manager is very intangible.

Managers don't make products, provide services, sell either of those, conduct research, or design things. Managers attend a lot of meetings, have a lot of conversations, review work done by others, and make decisions about who to hire and fire and where to spend their time. In other words, they do a LOT of intangible stuff.

Without a clear purpose of why the organization or the work group exists, the manager can literally fill up his or her day doing intangible stuff and achieving nothing.

A clear purpose gives meaning to all the intangible activities.
A clear purpose clarifies which metrics matter and which ones don't.
A clear purpose helps managers identify the employees they need and the ones they don't.

Southwest Airlines is all about democratizing the skies. They are all about making air travel possible for more people and making it a fun, on-time experience. That simple purpose simplifies all of the intangible work of their managers. Suddenly their managers know what to do and whom to hire and what kind of culture to build.

Don't rush into your work day to attend meetings and review work done by others. Instead begin your day by reminding yourself of why your organization exists and why your team exists. With that purpose in mind, go about the work of doing intangible activities that generate lasting, meaningful, important, and tangible results.

I encourage you to read It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For by Roy Spence and Haley Rushing. You can learn more about it here.