Purpose in Action: Navigating Disruption and Driving Impact with Social Purpose

The business world is facing a profound moment of disruption. As
economic
and political chaos
mount, many businesses are questioning how to remain relevant and
resilient in this
rapidly changing landscape. With so much turbulence, they’re scrambling to find
a compass to help them navigate the day to day. In times like these, having and
delivering on your social purpose becomes that compass.

Defining and embedding a social
purpose
for your business — a purpose that creates a better world in a way that is
relevant to your business and your stakeholders — acts as your North Star. It’s
the guiding light that keeps you steady and centred on your foundational values,
no matter how choppy the waters get.

And research shows that purpose-led companies are better
equipped
to adapt to changing market demands, build deeper relationships with customers
and stakeholders, and attract top talent who share their vision (anecdotally,
businesses with a social purpose attract nearly double the number of quality
applicants). As we saw during the COVID pandemic, a clear social purpose
fosters
trust
— essential for navigating turbulence. Now is the time to double down on
fulfilling your company’s purpose commitment, ensuring you both create and reap
the inherent social and business benefits.

However, business schools fail to teach purpose
delivery
— leaving company leadership to figure it out on their own. So, here are some
practical tools and frameworks to help your business realize the potential of
its purpose — and be a beacon of hope in a time that sorely needs it.

Tools to embed social purpose in business

By leveraging these tools, businesses can:

Turn social purpose into everyday practice rather than leaving it as an
abstract concept
Engage leadership, employees and stakeholders around a common purpose
Integrate purpose into products, services and decision-making frameworks

Here are seven tools to help businesses advance their social purpose journey:

1. Social Purpose Practices Toolkit: 40 Implementation Examples from 15 Social Purpose Companies

Companies often ask: What does embedding purpose look like in
practice?
This toolkit showcases 40 concrete ways that leading businesses have put social
purpose into action. Featuring case studies from 15 social purpose companies, it
provides examples across leadership, operations, culture, innovation and
stakeholder engagement. It serves as a roadmap for organizations looking to move
from theory to practice.

2. Social Purpose Product Transition Plan Tool

For companies committed to social purpose, the next frontier is ensuring their
products and services align with their purpose. This tool helps businesses
assess their offerings and then transition to purpose-led products and services.
It provides a framework for identifying purpose-aligned innovation
opportunities, redesigning existing products and engaging customers in the
transition.

3. Social Purpose Decision Lens Tool

Decisions shape the trajectory of a company, but how often are they made with
purpose in mind? The Social Purpose Decision Lens Tool helps leaders evaluate
strategic decisions through the lens of their company’s purpose. Whether it’s
launching a new initiative, entering a partnership or investing in growth, this
tool ensures that decisions advance — rather than undermine — the company’s
broader societal goals.

4. Employee Purpose Engagement Checklist

Embedding social purpose isn’t just about leadership — it’s about bringing
employees along on the journey. This checklist outlines ways to engage
employees at
all levels, from onboarding to professional development, from internal
communications to performance reviews. Companies can use this tool to ensure
that employees understand, connect with and act on their company’s purpose.

5. Employee Social Purpose Lifecycle Tool

Employees want to find meaning in their
work,
and this tool provides a structured approach to embedding purpose into the
employee experience. It maps out key touchpoints — from recruitment to
retirement — where companies can reinforce social purpose and foster a
purpose-driven workplace culture.

6. Social Purpose Departments Checklist

Social purpose must be embedded across all departments. This checklist helps
companies assess how different business functions, from finance to marketing to
operations, can integrate social purpose into their strategies, policies and
day-to-day activities.

7. A Guide to Executive Social Purpose Roles

Leaders play a critical role in advancing social purpose. This guide outlines
the social purpose responsibilities of executives across different functions —
including finance, HR, marketing, operations and risk management. It provides
insights on how leadership teams can champion purpose and integrate it into
corporate strategy and decision-making.

First steps

If you’re wondering where to start or how to advance, consider taking the
following steps:

Identify gaps and opportunities. Use the Social Purpose Practices
Toolkit to benchmark your current practices and identify areas for
improvement.
Engage leadership. Introduce the Social Purpose Decision Lens Tool to
your leadership team to align strategic decisions with purpose.
Engage HR. In collaboration with HR, use the Employee Purpose Engagement
Checklist and the Employee Social Purpose Lifecycle Tool to bring purpose
into daily operations, workplace culture and the employee experience.
Engage operations and marketing. Apply the Social Purpose Product
Transition Plan Tool to evaluate and evolve your offerings.
Drive impact. Integrate social purpose into departmental mandates using
the Guide to Executive Social Purpose Roles and the Social Purpose
Departments Checklist.

Navigating today’s economic and political turmoil is no small feat. In times
like these, having a clear and authentic social purpose serves as your compass. To drive meaningful impact and build lasting
community, it is important to ensure your purpose goes beyond being a symbolic
statement and is cascaded throughout your operations and relationships. In doing
so, you’ll become a lighthouse — attracting others to your safe shores.

Published Mar 21, 2025 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET

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Purpose in Action: Navigating Disruption and Driving Impact with Social Purpose