Has your business growth reached a plateau? Are you seeking productivity tips for your business and your team? The markets and opportunities are still there for you to maximise, despite the impact of the pandemic, but somehow the needle just is not moving forward.

As an ambitious entrepreneur, you wonder why you struggle to find a solution to drive your brand growth. Your startup strategy worked successfully; what are you missing now?

The absent element is a powerful sense of purpose.  Whatever has been holding back your productivity and business growth, there is one core tactic that has the power to blast through the noise and boost productivity for you and your business.

How purpose amplifies productivity and business growth

Read on for the ultimate in productivity tips  and ways to drive strategic business growth by amplifying your vision and aligning your team.

Discover how developing your sense of purpose will impact every area of your business - from productivity hacks and effective teamwork to brand proposition - so that you move your business forward, develop a valuable brand, and become the entrepreneur you aspire to be.

Is your team working towards strategic business growth? 

Of course, ill-advised hiring decisions come into play when it comes to stalled strategic growth, but more often, team issues stem from the leadership of the business. Here are common challenges business owners face around staff productivity, which all raise an alarm bell for me that the founder lacks clarity of purpose.

A culture of busyness

Your team is putting in the hours diligently - even working overtime -  but they are not getting the right results. Without a strategic focus, they concentrate on areas that do not add value and impact. This culture of busyness leads to frustration for both parties and a disconnection in expectations. These negative patterns could lead to burnout for the team member, staff downtime, and reduced team morale.

Conflicts

Staff conflicts can be hugely detrimental to a company and, if not fixed, lead to toxicity. These negative behaviours can result in low staff retention or a failure to attract top talent and, in extreme cases, could spill over to reputational damage and drops in customer satisfaction.

The strategic vision needs to be embedded throughout the company, with each team member understanding and backing this vision. When leadership is not 100% clear on business strategy, avoidable disagreements arise with team members pulling in opposite directions rather than joining forces towards shared deliverables.

Staff engagement and retention

Busyness without focus and internal conflicts are a recipe for low productivity throughout the business. Think disengagement rather enthusiastic brand evangelists. Together, this results in poor delivery for the clients leading to a loss of brand reputation and business downturn.

Without leadership, a culture of dissatisfaction sets in, and ultimately the brand does not move forward. It could even lead to the collapse of the company and everything the founder wanted to achieve.

What personal challenges does this raise for the business owner?

What do a cycle of lowered productivity and lack of focus mean for the entrepreneur personally? It takes them on a journey from apathy and lethargy to fatigue and even depression. Slowly they become disengaged from their own business, unclear about market opportunities and how to capitalise on them.

At this stage, the entrepreneur feels an inner conflict. They are indecisive about the direction of the business, which can lead to anxiety and stress. Although they have the talent (and latent drive) to bring value to the brand, they may even doubt their capability to lead the business.

It’s easy to become isolated; without a clear steer on the strategic direction, the team does not work with the founder to make an impact. Without a sense of belonging, the entrepreneur can feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness which compounds their perceived sense of failure at not growing the business.

The Power of Purpose

Motivation

Purpose allows the entrepreneur to experience motivation like never before. All their energy is moving in one direction. This energy works to find solutions to team disputes and productivity issues.

Teams now understand what needs to be done - and more importantly why it’s necessary - and are working with others to meet business challenges and push forward.

Direction

Busyness is a symptom of a lack of direction. Paradoxically,  the clearer you are about your purpose and end goals, the less there is for you to do. After all, there is an infinite number of distractions when you don't know where you're heading.

Alignment, identity and belonging

As a business owner, your sense of identity will become inextricably linked with the company, which is why it can be so difficult to sell up. [link to sell your business] As you develop your business, it also intersects with your values, visions, and sense of identity.

Backed with a clarity of purpose, your identity and your status in the world become aligned and you are ready to create a business that adds value to your community.

As a result, you are much better positioned to share this vision with your workforce. In turn, this will create alignment and dedication within the team, which means they can work together cohesively and serve customers better.

With a clear purpose, business values will be more transparent, leading to greater authenticity and a stronger brand proposition, which can be communicated clearly to all the stakeholders of the business - both internally and externally.

Your purpose becomes your company's cause and your brand identity is the flag your staff, customers and supply chain rally behind.