Massive Transformative Purpose
Next-generation organizations are not simply focused on delivering products or services for profit, but also have an underlying purpose to positively impact the world. In fact, the greatest business opportunities today can be found in seeking ways to solve the greatest global grand challenges.
The Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) reflects an organization's aspiration—the core purpose of its existence. It describes the change in the world that you want to achieve while recognizing that it will not be accomplished in the short term. An MTP is something that inspires action, expresses your passions, and creates an emotional connection that drives you and others toward meaningful, positive change.
The MTP is a means of “going higher”—beyond traditional vision statements, which are specific to an organization, or mission statements, which describe how an organization expects to achieve its goals. Instead, your MTP articulates a purpose that you are striving to achieve.
The MTP is meant to be a North Star for the organization, providing direction when key choices are required. With increasingly autonomous and distributed workforces, it provides a frame of reference for keeping activities focused. Since an MTP does not address how the purpose will be achieved, it allows the organization to modify its approach—and even pivot—over time.
Significantly, the MTP is also the foundation upon which many of the ExO attributes are built. Any organization that wants to become an ExO must begin by defining its MTP. Once established, an MTP aligns your organization, creates a sense of shared direction, and attracts the people you need to achieve your purpose.
Exponential technologies enable abundance, and ExOs are built to connect with abundance. The focus in every industry today is shifting from scarcity to abundance, a shift that sets the stage for ExOs to thrive. Framing your MTP offers an opportunity to think about how your organization relates to a particular area of abundance—whether it's an abundance of resources or the opportunity to have abundant impact.
For example, Google's MTP—“Organize the world's information”—relates to managing a growing abundance of information. “Health for Everyone” (the company name as well as its MTP) relates to abundance in the sense that it's a bold statement about solving a problem in an abundant way.
AN MTP IS NOT…
These examples of vision statements—not MTPs—describe what the companies want to become rather than the change they want to achieve.
A vision statement about what the organization is or will become in the future
A mission statement about how the organization meets its purpose
A marketing slogan promoting a product or service
Geared to the customer (statements often include “you”)
Geared to the company (statements often include “us” or “we”)
A statement that restricts a company's ability to pivot the business in the future
These examples of mission statements—again, not MTPs—describe how the companies will achieve their vision/purpose.
We strive to offer our customers the lowest possible prices, the best available selection, and the utmost convenience
Amazon
We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good, and get more out of life
Unilever
To provide the best customer service possible
Zappos
HOW TO CRAFT AN MTP
Crafting an MTP can be challenging. In the early stages of forming your MTP, try separating the intent—what you want to achieve—from the actual wording. It is easy to get sidetracked by the phrasing when you're still in the phase of pinpointing the actual purpose.
A startup focused on defining an MTP can begin with a blank slate. An existing organization, on the other hand, is constrained by its need to consider how to elevate its current offering and strengths for a broader purpose.
Allow time to test and refine your draft MTP. An MTP often starts as a “crazy idea” before it becomes fuel for pulling people together. Talk about it with early adopters—those who share your passion—to see how well it stands up once it's off the page. Is it meaningful to them? Is it easy to understand without explanation or context? Did it generate interest? Excitement? Motivation?
Keep all versions of your MTP drafts. You may find value in returning to earlier versions or using elements of those versions as the MTP evolves.
Your ultimate objective is to determine if the MTP can draw a new community or be taken up by an existing community. To do so, it must be easy to communicate and reflect a value that resonates with others. Test potential MTPs on small groups and consider their feedback before making anything official.
Framing your thinking according to these three categories helps to separate your MTP from your execution. Your MTP will be found in the answer to the WHY question.
