One of the group members stood up and said, “we need to change our website!” She described the current online credit scoring part of the website where, after answering some basic questions, people could find out if they qualify for a credit card. If they did not, the software simple said “sorry, we are not able to offer you a credit card.”

She continued, “but if we believe in people, like Julie did, we should never say no to them.” This made so much sense, the group decided to change the website so that if someone did not meet the scoring criteria, the message simply said, “sorry, not now” and offered simple steps to take to improve their score and invited them to apply again. Then, consistent with the new approach, the prompt added, “then we’ll be delighted to give you a credit card.”

Someone else said, “our advertising needs to change.” He went on to explain that currently this was all about features and benefits of their credit card’s terms and conditions over and above other providers – instantly a campaign was created with the working title, “we’re in your corner.”

Over the coming months, many things in this organisation were tested against their Higher Purpose (Why) and after some dialogue, these ideas were accelerated if they fitted, reshaped if they were a bit off, or stopped if they did not fulfil on the bank’s Higher Purpose (Why).

Whenever I see the new adverts on TV I smile, remembering the workshop and the profound relationship that this group of people generated to the very thing that bound them together. That had so effectively remained hidden and undiscovered in the day-to-day rush of “normal business activity.” I also know the work went much deeper than merely changing a slogan or a poster, it began a process that reworked the bank’s operations from top to bottom.

Like this bank, organisations that are grounded in and are able to articulate their Higher Purpose (Why) the very reason they exist and the difference that they make to others. When purpose is deeply felt, at a personal and visceral level, it helps direct decisions, communications, and of course, branding and advertising. We believe that the best organisations of the future start with their Higher Purpose (Why), that goes beyond short-term profit or growth.

I learnt in that workshop one simple thing.