FIREPROOF BLOG
The Power of Purpose: Why Understanding Your Impact Matters
My brother in law said that to me about the manufacturing job he had. It wasn’t until the pandemic when he was considered an essential worker that he found out part of his job was making parts that ultimately made respirators.
This realization resonated deeply. He wasn’t just making parts; he was contributing to something meaningful, something that mattered.
This experience highlights a crucial point: every role, no matter how seemingly insignificant, plays a vital part in achieving a larger goal. Just like the firefighter on the hose line without the nozzle, often unseen, is crucial to the foundation of success.
Being the the firefighter on a hose line without the nozzle, you don’t see the end goal of putting the fire out. Your job is to make sure the firefighter on the nozzle has enough line to advance into the building and get to the fire. It’s a hard job and it doesn’t get the glory of putting the fire out. However, without the firefighter doing this job, the overall objective can not be accomplished.
Does your team know how they contribute to the overall goal?
Do they have company pride in their work?
Your role as a leader is to help your team understand the company’s mission and vision and how their individual roles contribute to achieving them.
Create a culture where everyone feels their work is meaningful, regardless of its specific nature. This can be done by highlighting the impact of each role, celebrating individual contributions, and empowering employees to take ownership of their work.
Leaders can encourage team members to share their own stories about how their work has impacted the company or others.