{"id":3301,"date":"2014-08-03T13:56:53","date_gmt":"2014-08-03T20:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?p=3301"},"modified":"2014-08-03T13:56:53","modified_gmt":"2014-08-03T20:56:53","slug":"purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/career-advice\/on-the-job\/purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Your Purpose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Building<\/a>Do you feel that you are doing work that matters?<\/p>\n

As you lead your team or guide your department, do you ever ask yourself \u201cIs it worth it?\u201d<\/em> Are we making a difference in the lives of the people that we serve?<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Every day when you arrive at the office, there is always a long to\u2013do list. Every day you are pulled in two directions\u2014the desire to do meaningful, significant work\u2014and the reality of managing your time, your department, and your team.<\/p>\n

Talking about purpose with your coworkers or your team may not be the type of conversation you have in the elevator, over coffee, or in the break room\u2014but what if it was?<\/p>\n

Thinking about your purpose, mission, and vision when you start your day can<\/em> help orient you, and remind you that you are<\/em> doing work that matters.<\/p>\n

When you make certain that those you lead have a clear understanding of their role, and the particular mission that their role supports, you align your team\u2019s expectations with the outcomes\u2014or vision\u2014they are working to achieve.<\/p>\n

When you manage your team\u2019s expectations, they experience less pressure to live up to undefined goals. When your team is confident that you trust them to serve well as an ambassador to the public, their focus will be on the outcomes of their work as they perform to the best of their abilities.<\/p>\n

Those in positions of authority and leadership have a responsibility to their constituents and their team. Action reveals thought and words reflect the heart \u2013 what we believe and what motivates us. Your team is looking for a leader to follow; your actions and words will inspire and motivate them.<\/p>\n

Through your leadership, your purpose and perspective on doing work that matters is revealed in the character and culture of where you serve.<\/p>\n

Your organizational culture\u2014your character and values in action\u2014will serve to reassure the public that your organization is credible and trustworthy. Credibility leads to trust, and trust is an essential character quality in the culture of any public sector organization.<\/p>\n

This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.<\/em> \u2014George Bernard Shaw<\/p>\n

It’s worth the investment of time to take a step back and think about purpose and creating a purpose-driven culture where you serve, by asking:<\/p>\n