Anna Russell: Most lead lives of quiet desperation

Successful business should be measured by genuine and authentic relationships that make a difference in our lives, the lives of those around us and in our society. Photo / Scottie T Photography

This statement (taken from Henry David Thoreau's book Walden) has had a profound impact on the work that I do with businesses.

Too often the purpose of why a company exists becomes lost in an unrelenting focus on the bottom-line. People are seen purely as roles, and meaningful connections are replaced with performance management processes. This leads to the likelihood of employees 'turning up just for a paycheck', or in other words leading a life of quiet desperation, a life lacking purpose.

The impact of this is far-reaching. One study found that children were more likely to be bullies, not when their parents worked late, but when their parents were dissatisfied and frustrated with the work that they did.

Business owners and leaders have an amazing opportunity to help develop and enrich the lives of people in their teams. And like losing weight is a positive side-effect of a healthy lifestyle, increased market-share and profit is the benefit of a company focusing on its people and purpose.

Here are some ways in which I have worked with teams in this area:

• First ask WHY? Why do you come to work? Why do you do the work you do? Why have you chosen this company to work for? I have been surprised on multiple occasions by asking these simple questions. When I asked a person, who was frustrated and demotivated, as to why they worked for a particular company, it was because they believed in the vision and had a deep-seated loyalty to seeing it become a reality. Through better aligning this person's day-to-day role with the company's vision, a huge shift in attitude and resulting performance was seen.

• Be flexible. The work people do for you, or your company, is always influenced by external stresses. Something as simple as enabling someone to start 30mins later, so they can drop their children at school without being rushed, can have a huge impact on their productivity and performance that day. Not only that, it improves the relationship they have with their children, which further ripples out to their children's interactions and relationships.

Successful business should be measured by genuine and authentic relationships that make a difference in our lives, the lives of those around us and in our society. A business must be driven by purpose. A purpose that resonates with the customers they serve and the people they employ.

So...What is your purpose? What is your passion? And are you leading a life of quiet desperation?

Two years ago, while working full-time, Anna left the corporate world to pursue her dream of becoming a professional athlete, competing around the world in Ironman triathlons. Anna now writes about her experience as a professional athlete and how her learnings can be applied to drive high performance in both individuals and teams. For further information visit: www.wakeuplookup.co.nz