Episode 7
Trust the Purpose Process with Howard W. Grant, Ph.D.
Life is a journey, and work is a part of that journey. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget about the larger picture. However, it's important to remember that work is only one aspect of life. There is so much more to experience, and the goal should be to find balance between work and the rest of your life. Trusting the purpose process means taking the time to connect with your true purpose and aligning your work with that purpose. It's not about working hard for the sake of working hard. Instead, it's about finding meaning in what you do and using your work as a means to achieve your larger goals. When you trust the purpose process, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. Life becomes more than just a series of deadlines and obligations. Instead, it becomes an exciting adventure. So trust the process and let it take you where you're meant to go.
Dr. Howard Grant is the Senior Vice President of Governmental, External Affairs and Human Development for Atlanta Housing. He manages local partnerships and relationships with governmental and other local stakeholders around affordable Housing and Community Development. He previously served as the executive director of the Atlanta Board of Education. Dr. Grant is a scholar-practitioner in the field of urban policy, governmental affairs, environmental justice, and board governance.
Dr. Grant currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority as Chairman.
Highlights:
03:17 - Professional Joy comes from really seeing individuals move from one point in their life to another point in their life.
04:54 - The people component's goal is to again, move people toward self-sufficiency by giving them access to the resources that they need to be successful.
06:46 - Throughout my career, I've always been involved in a people, some sort of a people component, some sort of a component where I'm actually leading to help individuals move forward.
09:51 - The true blessing for me is that my entire career has been aligned with my personal mission in life and that is service.
16:44 - The prize is helping someone move from point A to point B to point C all the way to point Z and I find that we operate in silos. (Listen to Dr. Grant’s analogy on how silos can have a detrimental effect on people and organizations).
23:53 - (if you are looking to have a career of purpose and service) Trust your gut. Trust your feeling….. You have to be true to yourself,... what drives you,.... and where you feel you can fit in to make a difference.
Episode Takeaways:
-Find your personal mission in life. What are you doing in your daily work to move the needle to realize your personal mission?
- If there is anything that you could do for your career, without the limitations of money, what would it be? What did you like doing as a child? The answer to these questions can be a key data point in helping you discover your passion at work.
-The importance of discovering the need you solve. Identify the needs in your community or workplace. What gifts/talents have you been given to address the need? Everyone can use their gifts to solve a problem impacting others around them.
-Understand the importance of collaboration and the negative impact that working in silos can have on your organization. What are you doing with your 5ft rope?
-The importance of knowing the anchoring factors that keep you grounded in life. If you don’t define them for yourself, the world will do it for you.
- Be inwardly motivated and not externally motivated
#servicematters
Connect with Michelle
LinkedIn: Journey Unlimited, LLC
Connect with Dr. Grant
