Want to boost job satisfaction and well-being? Formalize your organization’s servant purpose

S. Chris Edmonds is a sought-after speaker, author, and executive consultant. He’s the founder and CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group, which he launched in 1990. Chris helps senior leaders build and sustain purposeful, positive, productive work cultures. He is the author or co-author of seven books, including Amazon bestsellers Good Comes First (2021) with Mark Babbitt, The Culture Engine (2014), and Leading at a Higher Level (2008) with Ken Blanchard.

Employees aren’t just quietly quitting—they’re loudly disillusioned. Workers continue to express frustration with their companies and jobs. A 2022 study by UKG found that American workers not only dislike their jobs, nearly half of global respondents would not recommend their company or profession to someone they care about.

That’s not just dissatisfaction – it’s disillusionment, a huge red flag for leadership.

In addition, the study identified the most dissatisfied workers are those who earn between $100,000 and $200,000 annually. For these players, pay isn’t a concern. What is a concern is poor management, a toxic work culture, and a growing doubt about whether their work even matters.

The “does what I do matter?” problem has been an issue for years. A 2019 Gallup study, One Employee Question That Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore notes that only 40% of US employees know what their company stands for. In 2025, a Deloitte survey of Gen Z and Millennials found that 89% of Gen Z and 92% of Millennials say having a sense of purpose is “very or somewhat important” to their job satisfaction and well‑being.

Formalizing your company’s servant purpose—its present-day “reason for being”—helps employees understand how their work contributes to improving customers’ quality of life.

Your company’s servant purpose needs to clearly communicate what you do, who your customers are, and how your products and services positively impact customers and communities.

A woman in business attire stands smiling at her desk, confidently managing job-related papers, charts, and sticky notes in a modern office with large windows, plants, and shelves in the background.
A person holds two trays with takeaway coffee cups in the foreground, reflecting a culture of collaboration as a group of people have a meeting around a table in the blurred background.

Employees aren’t just quietly quitting—they’re loudly disillusioned. Workers continue to express frustration with their companies and jobs.

CHRIS EDMONDS

Let’s look at two different company purpose statements:

This first sample purpose statement is: “Creating superior value for our customers, employees, partners, and shareholders.”

Does this statement describe what the company does – what its products or services are? No. They are a tire company, but you wouldn’t know it from reading this statement.

Does this statement specify who their customers are? No.

Does this statement formalize “to what end” employees toil – how their products or services improve customers’ quality of life? No.

Here’s a different second company’s statement: “To discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.”

Does this statement describe what the company does? YES.

Does this statement describe their customer? YES – their customers are patients with serious diseases.

Does this statement specify how the company’s products or services improve customers’ quality of life? YES.

This company’s innovative medicines help patients prevail over serious diseases. Leaders frequently reinforce team members’ contributions to this servant purpose, which helps employees understand that they’re doing meaningful work.

Servant purpose is the foundation of a purposeful, positive, productive work culture. Take the time to formalize your company’s servant purpose. Get agreement on it, then communicate it frequently, validating aligned ideas, efforts, and accomplishments. To retain talent, especially younger workers, you must embody your servant purpose, not just post it on the wall of conference rooms.

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