Purpose

A purpose, in holacracy and other forms of role-based management, is the reason a role exists, stated as the contribution it makes to the organization. It answers the question "why does this role exist, and what does it add to the organization's mission?" Purpose is one of the elements that define a role, alongside its domain and its accountabilities.

Where the accountabilities list what the role does, the purpose names the value it brings to the organization and to the people it serves. A Recruitment role might have the purpose "The team has the people it needs to grow", while its accountabilities cover writing job offers and running interviews.

The purpose of a whole organization can include its vision, its values, its culture or the impact it wants to have on society.

Why a clear purpose helps

With a clear purpose, the person holding the role knows what their work is for. When a situation falls outside the written accountabilities, they can check the purpose to decide whether to take it on. Written purposes also show the rest of the organization what each role contributes to the whole. Each member then sees more clearly why their own work matters.