For years I chose Organic Valley milk over other brands in the supermarket. I had no idea why until I spoke at their remote headquarters surrounded by acres of farmland in the middle of Wisconsin.
I discovered a company that didn’t believe in sales and revenue goals. Of course, they forecast sales for budgetary, planning and growth purposes and measured numbers and outcomes, but they did so with the belief that numbers were just a byproduct of how well they were living and sharing their purpose.
Instead of focusing on goals with numbers, Organic Valley passionately focused on their purpose-driven goals: providing opportunities for farmers to make a living, sustainability of the land, and providing families with healthy dairy products that were free of hormones and antibiotics. The result: Organic Valley’s numbers kept growing and growing.
The truth is numbers and goals don’t drive people. People with a purpose drive the numbers and achieve goals. Research clearly shows that true motivation is driven by meaning and purpose rather than extrinsic rewards, numbers and goals.
A study of West Point alums shows those with intrinsic goals, such as “I want to serve my country and make a difference,” outperformed those with extrinsic goals, such as “I want to rise in the ranks and become an officer because it’s prestigious.”
Goals may motivate you in the short term but they will not sustain you over time. Without a good reason to keep moving forward during challenges you either quit or go through the motions.
Read Gordon’s full column from the latest edition of Business Report. Send comments to editor@businessreport.com.
