Translating Purpose into Strategy: From Why to the Way Forward

I recently applied one of my favorite strategy tools used often with clients – this time for my own business. The “why” behind my work, and which catalyzed the reshaping of Kinetic Partners, was already defined – it’s my purpose, it’s a calling, and deeply tied to my faith.

Amping up my game to set direction for KP meant stepping back to translate my purpose into defined strategies, clear action, and trackable measures. This process, however, also led me to get much clearer on my vision for the world, the Kinetic Partners mission contributing to realizing that vision, and the values from which we operate (read more about these here).

These aren’t new. They’ve been present. And yet there’s a power in taking these things that hovered as an underlying essence and putting them into clear language. Not just for myself, but also for my partner clients and colleagues.

They provide new material from which to appeal to the kind of people and needs that align with my purpose, my why – what to do, who to do it with, and how to do it. They shape actions and measures for this year—the foundation for our strategy.

One of the few things kept on my minimalist desk, this strategy-on-a-page gets ahead of those inevitable stuck places, providing clarity in response to questioning, offering direction amid confusion, and reorienting with truth in the face of doubt.

When big things like this no longer linger quietly in the background, they stop calling out causing us to pause and ponder – to stop and restart aimlessly; they now have a clear purpose – like an HOV lane on the highway of daily functioning.