The Purposeful Work Compass
The purposeful work compass is a brand-build and decision-making tool designed by Seven Jacobs. Its purpose is to be used by start-ups so that they have an internal decision-making tool (a compass!) that helps them decide what decisions are right for them. It’s also an external tool that can help craft a story and tone of voice, and will affect the decisions you make about everything from the way you support customers to the kind of people you hire.
Scroll to the bottom to download a free template and worksheet to help you build your own Compass!
The Process
Decide the aims (transactional and transformational) of your organisation.
Decide on your personal values and make a personal values statement.
Decide on your mission using your transactional aims and the kind of organisation / work you want to do / have. Make a mission statement to express it.
Decide on a vision using your personal aspirations, transformational aims, beliefs, and values. Draw it and write it out to visualise it.
Decide on your purpose using your transformational aims and your values. Make a purpose statement to express it.
Decide on your virtues by evolving your values to be more on the standard you believe others should hold themselves to. Make a virtues list with a small statement for each.
Decide your pillars of work (rules of engagement) by understanding how you want others to work within your organisation to achieve your aims and to your standards. Write a list for it with a small statement for each.
Tell your story using these decisions. Write a document that tells it, and use this as the “tone of voice” for your branding.