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May 03, 2005
What's the Purpose
I'm helping a team at a local non-profit clarify their guiding principles (what are the rules they want to play by, they are at their best when...") I'm mostly just the scribe in the meetings, asking them questions when they seem stuck. I couldn't understand why they were having such a hard time coming up with their guiding principles until someone on the team asked "what is our purpose as a team?" I had assumed (incorrectly I now see) that their purpose as a team was clear to everyone on the team. It wasn't. And with a recent reorganization, their purpose and roles had changed. As a result, coming to agreement on their guiding principles was tedious and confusing--they didn't all have the same purpose in mind for why they were doing what they were doing. They couldn't agree on the rules because they weren't all playing the same game.
As soon as they nailed down their purpose, their guiding principles began to flow with ease and clarity.
I love these kind learning experiences. It reminds me to look at my own purpose in doing things, especially when I'm stuck. Is my inner committee in agreement about my purpose?
Posted by Kelly at May 3, 2005 02:09 PM
