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PAUSE – 10.34 – Purpose Packs Power

NOTE: A Big Box Bonus Bundle could have your name on it. Check the end of this message for details.

Q Mark-wREFLECTION: Have you ever wondered if tapping into the ‘why’ of what we do makes a difference? Here’s a study that suggests it does.

Researcher Adam Grant, at the University of North Carolina put the thesis to the test. He divided employees at a university fund-raising call center (charged with raising funds for student scholarships) into three groups.

Group One read stories written by previous employees about the personal benefits of the call center job in advancing their own skills and knowledge. The stories also touched on how individuals had leveraged what they’d learned to their advantage in their own careers and grad school. (The Personal Benefit Group)

Group Two read stories written by scholarship recipients about how the funding they received as a result of the campaign had given these students better access to education. The stories described how the gift had connected them to fellow scholarship students, and helped them engage in important extracurricular activities.  (The Task Significance Group)

Group Three simply continued doing their job as before – no stories at all. (The Control Group)

What happened? Over the next month of solicitations, callers in Groups One (Personal Benefit) and Group Three (Control) brought in the same number of pledges and raised the same amount of money as they had before the intervention.

However, members of Group Three (Task Significance Group), who were connected via story to the impact of the campaign on the lives of others, brought in more than twice the number of pledges and more than twice the amount of weekly donations.

ACTION: The study results suggest that connecting people to purpose has a significant impact on performance.

That’s a useful principle to keep in mind for ourselves – and for those around us.

One way to get better at what we do, is to connect the dots between the everyday ‘whats’ and the big picture ‘whys’.

Think about some of the stories and experiences that you could share to put this principle to work in your community groups and workplace teams.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Worry ducks when purpose flies overhead.” – C. Astrid Weber

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:  See here for Daniel Pink’s summary of the study. Check here for those of you who like to dig into the original research .

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What are some of the stories and experiences that you could share to put this principle to work in your community groups and workplace teams?
_________________________
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Worry ducks when purpose flies overhead.” – C. Astrid Weber
_________________________
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
For Daniel Pink’s summary of the study mentioned here see: http://www.danpink.com/archives/2010/03/is-purpose-really-an-effective-motivator
For those of you who like to dig into the original research, check here: http://www.management.wharton.upenn.edu/grant/Grant_JAP2008b_TaskSignificance.pdf
_________________________
BIG BOX BONUS BUNDLE:
I can’t believe it! We’ve sold all the copies from the original print run of my latest book, Press Pause…Press On. And so, we fired up the presses and rolled off a second batch of books. There’s good news in this for you!
The books are boxed 48 to a carton with a little headroom to spare.  I’m taking 10 of those boxes and stuffing that extra space with this collection of bonus goodies: 2 more books (to top it up to 50), 50 Pause decals, 10 copies of my Take A Break booklet, 5 Pause postcards, 1 set of 4 Pause Posters (8.5×11), 5 Pause postcards, and 1 Pause mousepad.
The retail value of the whole enchilada totals a shade over $1100. From now through the 30th of November, ten of these bundles are up for grabs for $550 each (plus taxes & shipping). Perfect timing for seasonal gifts for clients, colleagues and friends.
The B4 reprint special is available only by phone and only for the next two weeks. Call toll free at 877-728-5289 to order your Big Box Bonus Bundle now.

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Category:
Life Balance, Life in General, Overload & Overwhelm, Pause E-zines

One Response to “PAUSE – 10.34 – Purpose Packs Power”

  1. les handford

    Great question!

    The “why” or context is always important.

    It is not only important from an individual level but organizationally as well.

    One of the problems of working in an institutional organization (All types can be this i.e. government, academic or private.) Where you are busy being busy and you often do not know or are given the chance to ask “why” we are doing something. A common answer is “because”.

    Organizations need to always ask “why” at the strategic as well as engage staff to understand “why” at the operational level.

    It only makes sense at an individual level truly understanding the “why” helps you do a better job (however defined).

    After all most of us like helping our fellow “woman/man.”

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