By
Clarice Taylor Merriman
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Date Published: September 23, 2025 - Last Updated September 23, 2025
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At our second annual retreat, we worked with a facilitator to clearly define our team’s purpose. As a new team growing rapidly, we wanted everyone to find their voice in the work. But more than anything, we wanted to ensure we were aligned on why we were here and the impact we hoped to make on the system and our customers.
By the end of that session, we had this working statement:
“The purpose of the Maricopa Contact Center is to effectively provide clear, vital information and solutions that support and inspire the students, college partners, and communities we serve while demonstrating kindness and empathy.”
I remember how full I felt at that moment. The questions we asked ourselves were challenging, but the outcome was so meaningful. I said, “If I die right now, I will be good.” It was that powerful of a process.
The experience reminded me how transformative the power of purpose can be, shifting our view of work from something routine into a calling that energizes us to be the best version of ourselves for each other. Purpose answers the big “why are we here?” question and inspires a renewed commitment to the work.
1. Purpose Reinforces Belonging
Purpose plays a central role in belonging because it reassures staff that their contributions matter to the bigger picture. Deloitte highlights that employees who see their contributions tied to the organization’s meaningful goals feel more engaged, connected and likely to stay. In this way, shared purpose becomes the glue that keeps employees connected to both their team and their organization.
This connection reduces turnover and fosters a culture where people feel safe to invest themselves more fully. Leaders can reinforce belonging by tying staff recognition back to purpose. This not only acknowledges the achievement but also reinforces the team’s shared values.
2. Purpose Fuels Engagement
When employees understand how their daily work connects to a larger mission, the results are powerful. Purpose makes the work more about making a difference than just getting through a queue or performance metrics. Deloitte’s 2025 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 89% of Gen Z and 92% of Millennials consider purpose-driven work essential to their job satisfaction and well-being.
That sense of purpose fuels energy, creativity, and commitment, even when challenges arise. Teams that understand their purpose often collaborate more effectively, and as a result, deliver stronger outcomes for customers. In contact centers especially, where the work can feel transactional, reconnecting to purpose transforms the role from task-focused to impact-driven.
3. Purpose is Enhanced by Storytelling
Even the clearest mission statement can lose its power if leaders don’t bring it to life. Leaders serve as multipliers of purpose when they live it out daily and connect the dots for their teams: aligning the mission (the what and how) with the purpose (the why).
Research from Harvard Business Publishing shows that organizations where leaders and employees act on a shared purpose, they achieve 30% higher levels of innovation and better performance overall. One of the most effective ways to achieve this alignment is through storytelling.
Stories make abstract values real. Strong examples of how the team’s work impacted a customer, colleague or community partner breathes life into the purpose statement. When leaders tell these stories consistently, and invite staff to share their own, they create a living narrative that reinforces culture, builds pride and reminds everyone why their work matters.
That retreat exercise wasn’t just about crafting a statement to put on paper. It was about creating a shared understanding of why our team exists. Purpose gives us direction, belonging and inspiration. When people take purpose to heart, showing up each day becomes more than a job, it becomes a renewed commitment to supporting one another and staying grounded in why the work matters.
Your turn: Try tying recognition back to your team’s purpose. Resist using the generic “great job” to convey something deeper and more meaningful: “Your clear explanation helped that student move forward. That’s exactly how we provide vital information with empathy.”