Decisions are quicker and better when you follow your purpose.
Within hours of President Trump’s Executive Order banning all visitors to the USA from seven mainly Muslim nations as well as all refugees from anywhere, AirBnB offered to house immigrants in its properties. Explaining its decision, it cited its purpose to give people a sense of belonging not just a sense of place. “Anyone can belong anywhere.” I am unaware of any hotel that followed suit.
The New York Taxi Drivers’ Alliance organised a strike at JFK airport citing their purpose to welcome all visitors. “We go to work to welcome people to a land that once welcomed us.” Uber, on the other hand, faced fierce criticism for not joining the strike and also for lifting its surge pricing policy at the airport, a move interpreted as an attempt to gain commercial advantage from the situation. Travis Kalanick, Uber’s CEO, was stung by the criticism but by the time he had clarified his opposition to the ban, #deleteuber was already trending and a reported 200,000 Uber accounts were deleted.
Andy Milligan explains how important it is to have purpose…