Without Passion, Organizations Perish

You come to work lifeless. Everyone around you has that look in their eyes: a glaze that signals boredom, purposelessness, fatalism.

“What am I doing here?” you ask. Good question. What are you doing? If you’re a leader or manager and you see this zombie-like state among your organization’s employees, there is something you can and should do about it.

What are the key indicators that an organization has lost its passion, and how do you counteract it?

Key signs that your organization lacks passion:

* The leader is really not excited about what the organization does. In fact, many employees aren’t either. They are there more for the paycheck than the cause.

* There is no clear mission or purpose.

* No one talks or cares about who ultimately benefits from what the organization does.

* Managers and leaders are more focused on process than they are on doing good work.

* There is no overarching vision for the organization. (There is a noticeable absence of flexibility. Everything is very regimented and very predictable. Outside-the-box thinking is discouraged.)

* There is a lack of culture and personality; fun is not promoted.

* There is a lot of turf protection and lack of cooperation between individuals and departments.

Steps for re-infusing passion into your organization

Take steps to fall back in love with those who are helped by your organization. Who are they? How is your organization helping to change their lives? How can you help more? Here are some ways to inspire the people in your organization to move the focus from themselves back to the people you are organized to serve:

1. Once a week, share a story with your staff about a dilemma faced by a person served by your organization. This will most likely be a dilemma that has not yet been resolved. The purpose of this exercise is to keep employees focused on why your organization exists.