Sarah Gillard: How Can Businesses Embrace Their Purpose?
A Blueprint for Better Business are an independent charity whose purpose is to create a better society through better business. They help business to be inspired and guided by a purpose that benefits society and respects people and planet. Their podcast series, hosted by their former CEO Charles Wookey, explores the challenges and complexities of creating and running a purpose-led business.
In the first episode of the Blueprint for Better Business podcast, Charles Wookey speaks to his successor, Sarah Gillard, the current CEO of Blueprint for Better Business. They discuss her experience of accompanying businesses as they embrace the challenge of becoming purpose-led, what purpose in business really looks like and what its critical success factors are.
“Purpose talks to the very heart of what humans are: social and searching for meaning.”
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
What does Blueprint for a Better Business mean for you?
Our purpose is to create a better society through better business. We work with businesses who have a significant impact on people and planet, and guide them to becoming more purpose-led.
We do this in quite an unusual way – there’s no ‘ten-step paths’ or ‘five big tips’. Instead, we encourage a different way of thinking by creating a space for dialogue and reflection. For example, we may help them to rethink the beliefs and assumptions that they bring into their decision making.
You previously worked at John Lewis Partnership. Tell me about your experience there.
I joined the John Lewis Partnership around 14 years ago. I’d had a long and unsatisfying career in retail, trying to retain my morality, ethics and soul while surviving in a competitive and brutal environment. I’d almost given up hope, but I went to the John Lewis Partnership as a last ditch attempt.
While it was a purpose-led organisation, there were 80,000 different versions of their purpose; that lack of clarity meant it was ignored. Purpose wasn’t being used to define the organisation’s success, shape its strategy, inform its culture. Their purpose wasn’t fully alive.
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John Spedan Lewis, the original founder, gave the company away to the employees in a bid to serve society. I became fascinated by the origins and believed that if the organisation could rediscover its true purpose – serving society – it would help everything else.
In the last two years while I was there, I led in rediscovering and re-articulating their purpose so it was relevant for the 21st century. Moving to Blueprint was a brilliant way to continue these conversations in other organisations.
The language of purpose has become very mainstream in the last few years. Can you talk about how the purpose landscape has changed since we started in 2012?
The context has changed from when Blueprint was founded. The urgency of the problem is now evident in terms of societal and environmental breakdown – ‘permacrisis’ is a new word that has since come into being.
Climate change is now a reality, compared to 10 years ago when it still seemed theoretical. Social inequality is visible; movements like Black Lives Matter brought that into the business world. Businesses are having to navigate a complex landscape, which was always the case, but it was hidden by their focus on shareholder value. We’re now in a position where everyone wants business to step up.
While some think ‘purpose’ is a fad, I don’t think these thoughts are going away. Purpose talks to the very heart of what humans are: social and searching for meaning. While previously there was an acceptance that you could put these on hold when you went into the office, people aren’t tolerating that anymore.
The British Science Institute has issued an official definition of what a purpose-driven organisation is. So for those who say purpose is fluffy and undefined, it’s now been pinned down in very detailed language.
“Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can.”
Margaret Heff
What are your thoughts on purpose-washing?
Social media and websites like Glassdoor have made purpose-washing much more transparent. It’s important to therefore distinguish positive intent from inaction.
If you’re at the beginning of the journey, you’re probably talking about it without doing a huge amount of action. But if that lag goes on too long, you may be purpose-washing.
On the other hand, we’re seeing purpose-hushing: organisations that are doing good things but are terrified of being accused of not being 100% perfect, meaning nobody can learn from what they’re doing.
To what extent does a purpose led business live or die by having a purpose-led leader?
A leader might act as a catalyst to provide organisational permission for these conversations. But if it relies on them staying in the business, it’s not a sustainable change. The business as a whole must reorient towards considering their impact, as that is enduring.
Purpose isn’t typical to business language, so finding a way to translate it is critical. You can’t go around asking employees what they think the purpose of the business is; instead you might ask: “what makes you proud to work here?” The more that conversation is alive inside the organisation, the less it relies on one person’s vision.
Margaret Heff once said to me: “start where you are, use what you have and do what you can.” I wrote it on my wall and I began by making a cup of tea for the people I sat near. I can’t change everything all at once, but I can make a start.
Listen to the full podcast series at A Blueprint for Better Business.
