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Shaping an Organization’s Preferred Future Through Ikigai Principles

18

By Rick Aman
on

In my last two articles, I introduced Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning “reason for being,” emphasizing its holistic approach to personal purpose and fulfillment. By intersecting the four key elements of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for, Ikigai provides a powerful framework for personal alignment. In this article, I extend these Ikigai principles to organizational mission centering, exploring how they can guide institutions toward their preferred future by aligning mission, expertise, societal needs, and financial sustainability.

Ikigai Principles for Individual Centering

For individuals, Ikigai fosters a sense of fulfillment by aligning passion, profession, vocation, and mission. This alignment creates clarity and direction in life, fostering resilience and satisfaction. As a refresher, the four Ikigai principles applied to an individual include:

  1. Passion (What You Love):
    Passion stems from activities that spark joy and fulfillment. Engaging in pursuits that resonate deeply encourages sustained energy and creativity. For individuals, identifying what brings intrinsic happiness is foundational to personal growth and mental well-being.

  2. Profession (What You’re Good At):
    Profession focuses on leveraging skills and expertise honed over time. Mastery in specific areas builds confidence and provides value to society. Continuous learning and refinement of competencies help individuals stay relevant and capable.

  3. Vocation (What the World Needs):
    This principle emphasizes contributing to larger societal needs. Recognizing emerging challenges and opportunities allows individuals to find meaningful ways to serve others, making their contributions impactful and aligned with global or community goals.

  4. Mission (What You Can Be Paid For):
    Balancing personal fulfillment with financial sustainability is essential. Pursuing income-generating activities that align with personal values ensures not only financial stability but also a sense of purpose.

When these elements intersect, individuals find their Ikigai, a harmonious state where personal passion aligns with societal contribution and professional expertise. An individual can feel their life is centered around purpose.

Adapting Ikigai for Organizations

Organizations, like individuals may benefit from finding their Ikigai by aligning their mission, culture, strengths, and market relevance. Applying Ikigai principles to an organization’s futuring or strategic planning can guide it toward achieving its preferred future, a vision of what it wants to become in alignment with its values and mission.

Ikigai principles may be applied to organizations and similarly intersects with the core four elements:

What the organization values- MISSION

An organization’s passion reflects its intrinsic values and the missions it cherishes most deeply. To integrate this principle, leaders must identify activities that align with the organization’s culture and inspire its members. Structurally, this can manifest as embedding these passions into every layer of the institution. For example, a college passionate about community accessibility might prioritize initiatives that lower barriers to education, such as offering scholarships, creating satellite campuses in underserved areas, or establishing flexible online programs.

Culturally, organizations can promote passion by recruiting individuals whose personal values align with the institutional mission, fostering an engaged and enthusiastic workforce. Regular celebrations of organizational milestones and public acknowledgment of team contributions to shared goals can also sustain this passion over time. For example, holding annual events to honor faculty achievements in community engagement reinforces a sense of purpose and belonging. Leadership, too, plays a critical role: leaders must consistently articulate the organization's values and integrate them into decision-making processes to maintain alignment with its passion.

What the organization is good at – EXPERTISE

Recognizing and leveraging core strengths is essential for organizations to maintain competitiveness and deliver high-value services. Structurally, this often involves developing specialized departments that focus on areas of expertise. For instance, a college known for its exceptional technology training programs might establish a dedicated center for emerging technologies, supported by state-of-the-art labs and faculty with industry experience. These departments can serve as hubs for innovation, attracting both students and industry partners eager to benefit from the institution’s strengths.

Beyond specialized departments, organizations can enhance their profession by creating cross-functional teams that combine expertise across disciplines. For example, a college might bring together experts from its technology and healthcare divisions to create interdisciplinary programs addressing advancements in medical technology. Additionally, leadership roles should be competency-based, ensuring decision-makers have the expertise to drive their respective areas forward. Building partnerships with industry leaders or forming advisory councils can also strengthen the organization’s professional capabilities, keeping programs aligned with real-world demands and opportunities. Excellence is born from clarity of purpose. An organization that focuses on its strengths stands out in a crowded world.

What the region/customer needs - PURPOSE

Organizations thrive when they remain attuned to societal trends and align their mission with broader community and global needs. Structurally, this requires mechanisms to continuously analyze and respond to these trends. For instance, environmental scanning teams can be formed to monitor technological advancements, workforce demands, and socioeconomic shifts. These teams ensure the organization remains proactive, positioning itself to address emerging needs rather than react to them.

Community partnerships are another critical component of aligning with the world’s needs. An organization might collaborate with local businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits to co-create programs that directly address regional challenges. For example, a college situated in an area with high unemployment rates could partner with employers to offer job-specific training programs or apprenticeships. This not only addresses workforce gaps but also fosters goodwill and builds the institution’s reputation as a vital community resource.

How the organization can be sustainably funded – REVENUE MODELS

Financial sustainability underpins every successful organization, enabling it to invest in its mission and adapt to evolving needs. Structurally, achieving this involves developing diverse revenue streams that align with the organization’s purpose. For example, a college might generate revenue through tuition, grants, philanthropic contributions, and auxiliary enterprises such as event spaces or professional development workshops. By not relying solely on one income source, the organization mitigates financial risk and creates a more resilient model.

Innovation incubators are an effective structural element to pilot new revenue-generating ideas. For instance, a college could establish an incubator to develop micro-credentialing programs that address specific industry demands. These short-term, targeted certifications attract working professionals and create additional revenue streams while expanding the institution’s impact.

Financial teams can also play a crucial role in ensuring sustainability by analyzing the profitability of existing programs and identifying areas for optimization. Regular audits and data-driven decision-making allow the organization to focus resources on initiatives that provide both financial and mission-driven returns. Structurally, endowment funds or alumni giving campaigns can be managed to support long-term goals, ensuring resources are available for future growth and innovation.

Integrated Structure for Ikigai Alignment

By embedding these four Ikigai principles into the structure of an organization, institutions can create a holistic and aligned framework that drives clarity, engagement, and impact. A passionate culture, professionally focused operations, a vocation aligned with societal needs, and financially sustainable models work in tandem to ensure the organization thrives both internally and externally. This alignment is the foundation for achieving a preferred future—one where the organization remains resilient, relevant, and impactful in a changing world.

Comparing Individual and Organizational Ikigai

The table below illustrates how Ikigai principles translate from individual centering to organizational strategy:

The Ikigai Process for Organizational Preferred Future

Applying the Ikigai model to organizations enables leaders to visualize and implement a roadmap toward their preferred future. Here’s how organizations can align each Ikigai component with actionable strategies:

1. Passion: Energizing Through Values

Organizations must identify their core motivators by defining a mission that inspires stakeholders and fosters a shared sense of purpose. For instance, a college focused on equipping students with in-demand skills can strengthen communities by producing graduates prepared for family-sustaining careers and valued roles in the workforce.

2. Profession: Leveraging Core Strengths and Expertise

Defining and enhancing the organization’s strengths and expertise is vital. For instance, a college with a strong technical education program could expand partnerships with industries requiring skilled labor, building on its existing reputation.

3. Vocation: Purposing to Adapt to Societal Needs

Understanding and anticipating societal trends is essential. This might involve aligning programs with future job markets or addressing societal inequities through targeted initiatives. For example, introducing programs that upskill workers for automation-driven industries addresses emerging societal needs.

4. Mission: Sustaining Financial Viability

Sustainability and profitability are necessary for an organization’s resilience. Developing revenue streams aligned with purpose such as tuition models, partnerships, or donor funding that can ensure long-term growth while staying mission-focused.

Creating the Organizational Preferred Future Through Ikigai

Ikigai provides a lens through which organizations can align their purpose with long-term strategy. By integrating Ikigai principles into strategic planning, organizations can achieve several key outcomes:

Practical Steps for Applying Ikigai in Strategic Planning

Conclusion

Ikigai offers a compelling framework for both individuals and organizations seeking alignment and purpose. For individuals, it fosters personal growth and fulfillment. For organizations, it provides a strategic model to navigate toward a preferred future. By aligning passion, expertise, societal relevance, and financial sustainability, organizations can build resilient, innovative, and impactful future.

As leaders, we can harness the power of Ikigai to create environments where both individuals and institutions thrive turning values into action and vision into reality.

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If you're a member of an educational or organizational leadership team looking to strengthen your strategic planning process, I’m here to help. Whether it’s strategic planning toward a preferred future, leveraging AI for smarter decision-making, or preparing for regional economic shifts, I’ll collaborate with your team to achieve your goals. My services include AI-enhanced strategic futuring, PESTEL analysis, collaborative futuring team facilitation, scenario planning, and trend projection, along with support in developing strategic visioning documents and executive coaching. Let’s connect to create a future-focused vision that positions your organization for lasting success. Reach out today; I look forward to working with your team.

You can find my articles on my website – www.rickaman.com/articles

Rick Aman, PhD
208.850.6707
rick@rickaman.com