CANNES – Giving people a sense of purpose at work increasingly is viewed as a necessary step toward keeping them engaged with what they do. About 85% of people said they feel as if they have a sense of purpose, but only 65% believe they can describe that purpose, according to a survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
In a discussion during the She Runs It luncheon at the Beet Villa during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, advertising and media executives discussed how a sense of purpose shapes their lives amid the demands of work.
“I define purpose as being true to your values, understanding your values and your perspective on the world,” Esther “E.T.” Franklin, global chief strategy officer at Spark Foundry, said in this interview with correspondent Tameka Kee, “and making sure that what you’re doing on a daily basis is grounded and founded in that.”
Taking a step back to look at the bigger picture also is helpful in finding a sense of purpose.
“I remind myself that I am here not as an individual but as a collective,” Franklin said. “I remind myself that I am born out of peoples that have had a long legacy of overcoming challenge, of remaining hopeful in spite of what they are confronting — and having the ability to find joy every day, no matter how difficult it may be.”
Young people who are starting their careers or at a first job can develop the feeling of purpose within the context of defining their legacy, Franklin said.
“What do you want to leave? Do you want to leave the work, the tasks that need to be done and will be done without you?” Franklin said. “Or do you want to leave a sense of self, a sense of who you are, a sense of what you have left and the doors you have opened for others to follow?”
You are watching “The Mediaocean Retreat,” a Beet.TV Leadership Summit at Cannes Lions 2022.
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