by Julie Tuggle-Nguyen
Great company cultures don’t just happen. They’re crafted through countless small, intentional moments that, over time, shape how people feel about where they work and why they show up. Recognition, storytelling, and other everyday practices create the threads that weave people together. At the heart of it all is purpose — the steady anchor that gives those practices meaning, focus, and staying power.
Why Purpose Matters
Purpose is a company’s shared mission. The reason it exists beyond profit. But purpose is more than a platitude; it’s a business multiplier. When employees see how their work connects to a clear, authentic purpose — especially when it aligns with their own — something powerful happens. They bring more energy, focus, and passion to the job. That sense of connection deepens engagement, strengthens loyalty, and amplifies performance.
Think about it: when you go home at the end of the day feeling proud of what you and your company accomplished, you’re more likely to show up the next day ready to give even more.
The data backs this up. McKinsey found that companies that make purpose real for employees report higher engagement and retention. And, Deloitte reported that purpose-driven organizations have 40% higher workforce retention than others.
For emerging generations, purpose is non-negotiable. LinkedIn research shows 80% of Gen Z wants roles that align with their values and contribute to something bigger than a paycheck. Pay matters, of course, but purpose multiplies commitment. When personal and professional purposes align, people stay longer, work harder, and advocate more fiercely for the company — driving real business results.
How to Embed Purpose into Daily Operations
Purpose shouldn’t live on a poster. It must be visible in the rhythm of daily work.
Try these practical moves:
- Define it. Write one clear sentence that answers: beyond making money, what are we here to do?
- Fold it into hiring and onboarding. Use your purpose to screen candidates, and make it a core part of orientation so newcomers understand why the work matters.
- Use purpose in decision-making. Train managers to ask, “Does this choice align with our purpose?” when evaluating priorities or trade-offs.
- Connect daily tasks to impact. Make outputs visible (dashboards, customer stories, community results) so people see how their work moves the needle.
- Integrate it into marketing. Communicate how your company lives its purpose to foster pride, attract talent, and strengthen your brand.
When purpose is the lens for hiring, customer service, and prioritization, it becomes an everyday compass rather than an occasional slogan.
Purpose Pitfalls to Avoid
Not every stated purpose helps culture. Beware of these common missteps:
- Disingenuous purpose statements. Don’t pretend. Take time to define one that aligns with who you truly are.
- Lip service from leadership. Purpose must be modeled from the top. Inconsistency quickly erodes trust.
- Failure to operationalize. If purpose isn’t tied to hiring, rewards, or decisions, it becomes background noise.
How Midwest BankCentre Lives Its Purpose
Midwest BankCentre’s purpose is to help our regional communities thrive. It’s our North Star — the “why” that guides everything we do. We make that purpose real in several ways. One is our Give Joy program, where team members go into the communities we serve to give cash gifts and meet our neighbors. We also have the opportunity to see and visit the neighborhood improvements, developments, and businesses that our work has helped support. Experiencing that direct, human impact reminds us why we show up.
Another way we bring our purpose to life — which any organization can easily replicate — is through our culture cards. Every team member receives a card that outlines our mission and values. It’s a simple, tangible reminder to keep our purpose front and center in daily interactions and decisions.
Your Call to Action
Purpose doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be lived. This week, take a moment to reflect: What is your company’s purpose? Is it clearly understood by your team? When was the last time that purpose helped guide a decision or inspired someone’s work?
When you lead with purpose, you give meaning to every action, every conversation, and every choice. That’s how culture grows: one intentional step, grounded in purpose, at a time.
Julie Tuggle-Nguyen is Chief Human Resources Officer at Midwest BankCentre.