Case: Corporate Purpose

Purpose, Vision & Values for a Healthcare Company

Following several years of business challenges and significant organizational change, a Fortune 500 healthcare company wanted to refresh its corporate Purpose, Vision and Values as part of a larger strategic reimagining of the company.  The CEO knew how galvanizing this work could be from prior experience at another company and commissioned us to lead the project.

The CEO insisted that the work come from within the organization, not from the top down.  We strongly agreed based on prior experience.  Our process leveraged workshops with about 40 employees representing every division and level of the company.  This working group conducted over 100 interviews with peers and customers to identify core elements of past success.  The resulting output captured the enduring truths of the company from an employee and customer perspective.

The executive leadership team took the working group input and incorporated a few key elements to capture the future aspirations of the organization. After a few rounds of internal wordsmithing, the CEO signed off on the final output and the new Purpose, Vision and Values have been rolled out to the entire organization.

What marked the end of the project for us is just the beginning for the client as they integrate the work across the enterprise.  Importantly, the CEO has taken personal ownership of both the words and the implementation – in our experience that is the difference-maker over time.

“Our company is going through change, and new leadership made the timing right for us to tackle this work.  We were lacking a North Star, and our new shared Purpose is an important rally cry for the organization.”
– CEO

“We knew the right outside resource was critical to help us dig deep for the fundamental truths.  We selected Peter for his unique ability to actively listen and point the team at critical decision issues.  The process was fast-paced and inclusive and it delivered an outstanding purpose, vision, and values.  Senior leader and working team feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.   Such broad-based and deep engagement will ensure the success of our rollout.”
– Head of Strategy