Most organisations love to posture about vision statements and the company narrative. Let’s call it what it usually is: corporate bullshit. A poster in reception, a video no one watches, a strapline nobody remembers.

But when purpose is real, it’s not filler – it is ‘killer’! It’s the power supply.

Humans have always needed stories to make sense of life. Once upon a time it was explaining fire and storms. Now it’s “why are we on our third re-org in two years?” The tech changes, the psychology doesn’t. We still need a story that connects today’s work to something bigger … otherwise it’s just tasks.

That’s where Human WhyFi comes in. Purpose is like invisible electricity at work. You don’t see it, but you know when it’s there, because people are switched on. Trouble is, just like your home WiFi, it’s often patchy. Leaders say the signal’s strong, but the people actually using it are stuck on one bar.

And yes — Maslow’s hierarchy probably needs an update. Forget food, water and shelter. These days you can’t function without WiFi. (Tongue in cheek, but you get the point: connection matters.)

The same goes for work. People don’t want a laminated values card. They want to know their cog in the machine actually turns something. That their effort means something to someone.

Stories are the cables that carry this current. They turn corporate strategy into something humans can actually believe in. Get the story right, and people are plugged in, motivated, moving. Get it wrong, and you’re buffering.

So, how many bars has your Human WhyFi got right now?