Personal Goals and Organizational Goals

There is a strong desire to embrace purpose as illustrated by the popularity of Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, which by its tenth anniversary had sold more than 60 million copies. The connection of purpose to motivation, engagement and performance is already established. The positive psychology movement that studies the flourishing aspects of psychology connects purpose to motivation, engagement and performance, recognizing both purpose and calling as sources to motivation, drive toward, and commitment to, an accomplishment. Embracing a calling, purpose or personal vision in one's vocation, as well as the feeling of living out a calling, is linked to a positive work experience and well-being. And an increased level of meaning or purpose is connected with work gratification, life fulfillment, well-being and happiness. Organizations in which employees experience a higher level of engagement have increased levels of performance than organizations that do not. Shuck and Rose take this even further by discovering that "engagement and performance are a secondary consequence to work that is interpreted as meaningful and purpose-driven".