Last week I was the final speaker at a TEDx Telstra Melbourne event.
I spoke on the topic of ‘Profit on Purpose’.
This 18 minute talk took me 80 hours to prepare and 5 years to bake.
As I researched, rehearsed and shared my talk, I was not thinking about Telstra as an organisation, I was thinking about every single beautiful human being in that room. I was appealing to each and every person to take ownership of their company purpose and to bring their own purpose to work (BYO Purpose). From the few conversations I had with audience members afterwards, it appeared that my message had a profound impact.
Most companies are so firmly stuck in The Technology Age that they’re ill-prepared for the age that’s hurtling towards us right now – The Human Age – the age where ‘meaning is the new money’ and where purpose prevails.
A higher purpose answers the core truths of: Why are we here? What is the contribution we are making? How is the world better because we exist? Purpose is as essential to a company, as breathing is to us humans. It’s not about sacrificing profit in the name of purpose but about ‘profiting on purpose’ by bringing your company back to its humanness.
The Human Age will demand that companies have a higher purpose beyond profit. A higher purpose is the only solution to the culture crisis most companies are experiencing and the only thing that will ensure the best and brightest people stay. People simply won’t work for companies not putting purpose before their pocket.
The biggest disruption in the business world in the next 10 years will not come from advancements in technology, but from advancements towards purpose, where technology will simply be the great enabler of purpose.
When I stepped on that TEDx stage I felt truly qualified to be talking on this topic.
You see, I’ve been on my own purpose journey for the last 5 years ever since giving up my 20-year marketing career and I’ve been studying ‘company purpose’ intently through Conscious Capitalism, by becoming a Certified B Corporation and in writing my fourth book Conscious Marketing.
And finally, I’ve been bringing purpose to life as the central force of our people-powered learning community; The Slow School of Business.
I have a very unique and powerful take on ‘purpose’, one that puts ‘purpose’ firmly in the hands of employees. You will see this from reading my ‘Profit on Purpose’ thought paper READ HERE
In 2016, I’m taking my ‘Profit on Purpose’ message to organisations all over the world. I’m also committed to activating purpose in organisations through Slow School’s Talk on Purpose program.
If you feel your company could do with a dose of inspiration and action on this most vital area of ‘purpose’, please contact me on carolyn@carolyntate.co or phone me on +61 412 806 950.
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