7.9 Serving the real purpose of delivery
Delivering solutions, products, self-service approaches, and commodities is not a goal in itself. These goods and services are provided because they serve a specific purpose. Managers often focus on delivering these “purpose carriers” without questioning whether the purpose could be met in a different, better, or more efficient way. This approach stifles creativity and leads to stagnation. By contrast, businesses that continually explore how to better fulfill the purpose behind what they deliver tend to be more dynamic, more innovative, and truly revolutionary.
It is the purpose of the delivery that is actually being delivered, not the object of delivery itself.
When a genuine sense of purpose is missing, there is either a weak or nonexistent vision of where to go, and stated goals typically turn into empty proclamations unsupported by concrete steps when day-to-day challenges arise.
When a sense of purpose is present, the steps people take, the projects they carry out, and the path they follow all reinforce one another. It does not matter whether the business story begins with small steps leading to a vision or whether the vision comes first.
