Through People, We Will Revolutionise our Industry.
7 carefully crafted words, painstakingly curated by the entire team here at Sixty Eight. A new purpose fit for a new stage of our growth.
Why do we need one?
I’ve always known having a purpose was essential. Back in my Revolution days, I saw how our purpose (to be the best bars to be in, work in, and invest in) inspired and aligned the entire workforce. Of course, Mr. Simon Sinek cemented that way of thinking – his near-perfect verbalisation of ‘why’ is something that will remain etched in my mind forever.
For us, it has been and will continue to, be our North Star. Our guiding principle. If a project, action, or thought doesn’t in some way help us achieve our purpose, we shouldn’t be doing it. The highest order reason for the existence of our business. When crafting our new one last week at the stunning Lyme Park, we researched the hell out of the best way to put it together. We needed to make sure it:
- Was inspiring
- Was brief
- Resonated on different levels (commercial, social, emotional)
- Had an unresolvable tension
- Was precise – aspirational but not vague
So we left Manchester by train to head to a secret location (Disley) with an open mind and a set of questions to discuss, whilst we walked around one of the most beautiful parks in the north. We questioned what purpose meant to us, why it was important, and how it supports our collective and individual growth – all the while dropping words into our team WhatsApp that struck a chord with us about who we were.
5 hours, lots of snacks, a load of laughs and a couple of crisp sarni-bs later – we had it. Luckily, when we found the right one we just knew. All looking at each other knowingly – that is THE ONE.
All too often purpose, or setting values, can be set aside as fluff by those who fail to see the benefit. Sometimes, even worse – companies take the time to put these things together, but they go no further than words on a website.
As a leader of a team who has just collaboratively created our purpose for the next 12-18 months, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s heart-warming to see the team so engaged in the brand and excited about the next stage of growth.
If ‘purpose’ is something you haven’t got round to yet, have a chat with any of the 68 team to see what impact it could have. I do not doubt that going through this process will not only make sure that everyone is on the bus but that they’re on the bus with bells, whistles, and a vuvuzela.
