It’s a simple question. “What is your purpose?”
Finding your purpose is no easy task, and being asked about it can produce anxiety. Sharing that purpose without sounding ironic might be even more difficult. How can you be sure of your life’s purpose, when you don’t know what you are going to have for lunch next Thursday? Perhaps you consider yourself a “purpose-driven leader” – but notice that there are as many definitions of this concept as there are posts on Forbes right now. Your purpose can be described as a calling, or intention – an over-arching theme and through-line to your life. Interestingly enough, Harvard Business Review says that less than 20% of executives have a sense of purpose. But that stat might not stop one of them from wanting to know yours, in a job interview. The purpose question, like many interview questions, can create anxiety. Here’s how to approach your job interview with a renewed sense of purpose.
The Real Purpose of The Question
The English social scientist, Stafford Beer, said, “The purpose of a system is what it does.” So, your purpose, according to Beer, is what you do at your job. But is it? When you work to live, instead of living to work, your purpose might not be reflected on your resumé. Consider the question, “What is your purpose?” as an invitation to look at impact. That means discussing not just what you’ve done, but who and what you’ve influenced, what you’ve enabled, and what you’ve built. Explore the results that your career has created, and that you hope it will create, for yourself and your prior organizations. Are you building a legacy? How are you leaving the world of work a little better than you found it? Beer says, “There is no point in claiming that the purpose of a system is to do what it constantly fails to do.” And the great 20th century newsman, Edward R. Murrow, said, “Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions.” Bottom line: you have to walk the talk. Bold and unsupported claims are not a reflection of your purpose.
The Building Blocks of Purpose
What is your purpose made of? Not just words, but actions. What action are you taking, today, to express your purpose? How are you seeing evidence of your purpose in your daily life?
You can claim anything as your purpose, but that doesn’t make it true, relevant or compelling. Evidence of your purpose is they key. Words without actions are just dreams. Or hype. How are you turning your purpose into a daily intention, that results in consistent action?
Remember, successful people do consistently what others do occasionally. The power in your purpose doesn’t come from the words you choose, but from the actions you take. What have you done to demonstrate your purpose – bringing it to life for yourself, and those around you?
Alignment Matters, When It Comes to Your Purpose
Inside your purpose – that over-arching goal or desire that defines your life – you will find smaller, simpler and even more compelling representations of your purpose. The building blocks of your purpose are your values. While defining the overall story arc of your career and your life may be a difficult exploration, your values are easier to see. Easier to access. Easier to describe. And your values – what matters most to you, right now – are the building blocks of your purpose. While purpose can seem quite grand, values are what you see, share and live everyday.
In The Upside of Stress, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal describes an experiment conducted by Stanford researchers. The short experiment, conducted on stressed-out college students, produced unexpected discoveries around strength, resilience, collaboration, well-being and even personal health. Would those attributes be beneficial in your next job interview? The experiment, in a nutshell, explored the elements of purpose – because researchers asked students to write about their values. Here’s how McGonigal writes about the importance of investigating values:
“Writing about personal values makes people feel more powerful, in control, proud and strong. It also makes them feel more loving, connected, and empathetic towards others. [Exploring your values] increases pain tolerance, enhances self-control, and reduces unhelpful rumination after a stressful experience.”
What Do You Value Most? Discover Your Self-Worth
Purpose-driven leaders see alignment between values and purpose. Job interviewers will see if you take action to pursue the things that matter most. If “What is your purpose?” makes you anxious, and feels as broad as all outdoors, you’re not alone. Don’t ramble in the job interview, go straight to your values instead. Values are easier to access, easier to express, and easier to explain. Exploring your values is a means of self-affirmation – in other words, accessing your worth. And isn’t that the purpose of the job interview: for you to access your worth? Align with your values, and consider investing 15 minutes in the stress-free experiment. That way, you will discover commitment. Direction. And, ultimately, accountability. Because your purpose is now accountable to the person who matters most. Such alignment might be the first step in finding your purpose, and reducing anxiety, in the job interview. Because you are accountable, and aligned, with yourself.
Read the full article here
