How to: Connect Your Team to Your Purpose

Harnessing the secret sauce of workplace culture.

Are you ready to talk about purpose at work? Not the insincere, corporate buzzword kind that makes you want to hurl your mouse, but the real, practical kind that makes your people want to turn up for you day after day.

This is the first in our series exploring the essential elements of thriving workplace cultures. Today we're talking purpose - and you might think this doesn't apply to your café or trade business, but I’m here to explain why it definitely does.

You don't need to be saving the planet to have meaningful purpose (but seriously, thank you if you are!). You just need to help your team understand why their work matters beyond their daily tasks. Connecting your team to your business purpose won’t cost you a cent, but it will require intention, consistency and perhaps a teaspoon of vulnerability.

Why purpose matters more than you think

Purpose isn't just a ‘nice-to-have’ - it's one of the four factors that contribute to meaningful workplace experiences. The research shows that employees who feel connected to their work's purpose perform better and stick around longer. And frankly, in today’s job market this is a serious money win!

Connection to purpose is easy to miss as a small biz owner (and in large corps too, lets be honest) and may not feel like a priority in the early days.

But lets pause for a sec and consider why you started your business.

• Was it born from your passion?

• Have you poured your soul into it?

• Is it a product or service you live and breathe?

• Have you worked your ass off to get it to the point of needing employees?

You’ve probably answered yes to at least two of those questions. It’s yours, the risks are yours, the benefits are yours, the hard work belongs to you too. So how can you expect an employee to turn up in the same way that you do? You can’t. At least not without some meaningful connection to the ‘why’.

Purpose at the small business level isn't about grandiose mission statements. It's about clarity. When people understand why their job exists and how it fits into the bigger picture, their work takes on meaning. That barista isn’t just making coffee – they’re a lifeline to a sleepy mum, the backbone of two friends quietly catching up, the fuel of another busy biz owner between meetings – a bad coffee can ruin someone’s day, but a good coffee can be the foundation of a great day!

See the difference?

How to actually connect your team to your purpose

Connection costs nothing and it starts with you. Can you clearly explain why your business exists beyond making money? Not the elevator pitch version - the real (maybe even vulnerable) reason you get up every morning to do this work. If you can't articulate it, your team can't connect to it.

Bring in people with aligned values

Look for people who share your core values but still bring a different perspective. Diversity of thought, background, and skills are essential for growth. You don’t need or want a team of mini-yous, but values alignment paves the way for meaningful connection.

Get clear on roles

This is where many teams fall down. Your people need to understand exactly what their role is, how it fits into the broader business, and what their specific contribution means. There are no “just a…” roles in a small business, every role has impact.

Show, don't just tell

Your actions and decisions should demonstrate your connection to purpose. You set the tone of your workplace, and I know you’ve heard the saying ‘lead by example’. Acknowledge and celebrate the work and behaviour you want to see repeated and show your team you see and value their contribution to your biz success.

Practical steps you can take this week

Have conversations

with each team member about what matters to them in their work. Not performance reviews - genuine conversations about what makes work meaningful for them personally.

Document and share your "why”

imbed it in position descriptions, job advertisements, process guides, policies, anywhere you keep information about how your business ticks. Have it form part of your expectations as a leader, talk about it in job interviews, shout it from the rooftops if you want to – genuine passion can be pretty damn contagious.

Connect daily tasks to outcomes

When you're giving instructions or feedback, explain how that task impacts customers, the business, or the team. Make those connections visible.

Celebrate meaningful wins

When a customer gives great feedback, share it with the specific team members who made it happen. When the business hits a milestone, explain how everyone contributed.

The bottom line

Connecting to purpose doesn't require a budget, fancy program or a HR consultant. It requires intention and consistency in how you communicate, make decisions, and treat your people.

Your team might never love your business as much as you do, but they can understand and connect to the value it creates. That connection can transform work from "just a job" into something we can actually care about and really enjoy.

Next in our workplace culture check in series: How to create genuine opportunities & challenge in any workplace.