Ever felt like you had to shrink yourself to fit in at work? You might have held back an idea in a meeting because you were afraid it might sound dumb. Or stayed silent when something didn’t feel right. You’re not alone - it’s a shared experience for many.
Why Is It Important to Know Your Why?
In today’s fast-paced, results-driven workplace, HR professionals must prioritise cultivating environments that foster a true sense of belonging and openness. One that allows employees to feel safe and to be their best selves (warts and all). Gone are the days when employees were expected to “show up and shut up,” never questioning the way things were done. We’ve long normalised dreading Monday mornings and counting down the minutes until 5:00 p.m., eager to shut our laptops at 5:01 pm. But let’s be honest, working in this manner is unsustainable, uninspiring, and ultimately, unhealthy to oneself and the organization.
Where Is the Balance, You Say?
According to McKinsey (2021), employees who feel disconnected from their purpose at work are less productive, less resilient, and more likely to experience burnout and leave the organization. What does that tell us?
It tells us that modern organizations must foster healthy work environments rooted in purpose and impact; environments that speak to each employee’s personal “why.” That “why” is the reason we get out of bed each morning. It’s the impact we want to make in and on the world. It’s the ability to answer the question, “Why does this organization exist?” with confidence and enthusiasm, and most importantly, my role in it!
Simon Sinek’s concept of the Golden Circle (2009) reinforces this idea. He argues that when leaders start with “why,” they inspire loyalty and drive meaningful impact. But how do we embed that into our organizations? Through culture.
Research by Connors and Smith (2011) illustrates this in their Results Pyramid, which shows the direct link between organizational culture and outcomes. As Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” We like to think it eats strategy for lunch and dinner too.
Why? Because no matter how brilliant your strategy is, it will fail if your culture doesn’t support it. In an organization with a culture that lacks trust, psychological safety, or purpose, the strategy will falter. On the other hand, a healthy, purpose-driven culture can elevate even a modest strategy into something powerful. When culture is strong, employees are more engaged, committed, and enthusiastic about the mission.
McKinsey’s data supports this (2025): disengagement in non-inclusive cultures can cost S&P 500-sized firms between $228 million and $355 million annually in lost productivity. That’s a staggering cost for ignoring culture!
If research shows that belonging and purpose meet our basic human needs, a la Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, shouldn’t they be embedded into the very fabric of our organizations?
To create a culture of belonging, we must make space for authenticity, collaboration, and growth. As budding and practicing HR professionals and organizational leaders, we must create a space where the correlation between an employee’s “why” and the “what” and “how” of the organization is crystal clear, no guesswork or maybes. This is the type of learning budding and existing practitioners availing our Master's in Human Resources Management program will have exposure to, as offered in our Creating a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging module.
Armed with these insights, you will be empowered to be intentional about articulating and owning culture creation, making it clear at every organizational stratum. It’s no easy task… but who wants easy? It's why we decided to be HR practitioners! Cue Avengers music.
References:
Connors, R., & Smith, T. (2011). Change the Culture, Change the Game: The Breakthrough Strategy for Energizing Your Organization and Creating Accountability for Results.
Dhingra, N., Samo, A., Schaninger, B., & Schrimper, M. (2021). Help your employees find purpose or watch them leave. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave
Kirschner, P. (2025).McKinsey on return to office: Leaders are focused on the wrong thing. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/philkirschner/2025/02/14/mckinsey-on-return-to-office-leaders-are-focused-on-the-wrong-thing/
Sinek, S. (2009). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Portfolio.
Research team:
Senior Business Advisors, LCI Consulting Inc., Jayde Lindsay, and Jenile Duncan
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Marsha Lewis, MBA
Marsha Lewis is a human capital and change management expert with over 25 years of experience advising public and private sector organizations on Change and Transformation, Culture Articulation, Talent Retention, and Reorganization Strategies. She has advised on organizational design and culture change, leading significant Human Resources (HR) restructuring strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. She sits on the board of the Master’s in Human Resources Management program at the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies and supports other learning entities in a similar advisory capacity.