Why a sense of purpose matters in project work

The theme of the 2025 APM Conference is Projects for a Better Future. The idea of working for the greater good or leaving a worthwhile legacy is something that runs deep in many project professionals, both those early on in their career and those at the very top. This collective sense of purpose and motivation is striking to the outside observer.

It’s not that everyone who works in project management feels an intense sense of meaning, but this is common where the project strikes a personal chord. Take Daniel Lockwood, Regional Director and Sustainability Lead at AtkinsRéalis, who is currently focused on projects that involve the large scale retrofitting of social housing in Scotland – often tower blocks – and working with local authorities on their decarbonisation strategies across education, healthcare and residential.

Intrinsic motivation

Lockwood says he has a keen interest in environmental sustainability and stopping the effects of climate change. He also enjoys the social sustainability side of the work he does in deprived areas, including improving communal spaces and alleviating fuel poverty.

“When you’re working with something that’s people focused and you can actually see that you’re going to be bringing tangible benefits to them in the longer term, that really gives you the sense of purpose of why you’re delivering the project,” he explains.

Working on highly complex projects like these, this grander sense of purpose enables him to take a step back from the fray and put it all into perspective.

“Although they’re really challenging, you’ve got that positive goal that you’re shooting for, which can help you rise out of the day-to-day challenges and see that end goal,” he says.

Appreciating the bigger picture

“Looking back at these social housing retrofits that we’re doing, we’re now trying to look at that at scale and ask: what are the longer term benefits that we can drive? And are there other things that we can bring into the retrofit as part of that wider community, environmental and social piece? I really enjoy trying to look at that more macro level of what the potential of these projects is,” Lockwood says.

His interest in environmental concerns comes from growing up in the Highlands of Scotland. “Being surrounded by that kind of nature, you want to protect it,” he says. Having travelled when he was younger, he has seen first-hand the communities that are being directly impacted by climate change.

“There’s a duty on us as humans to try and help those people,” he adds.

Projects and project professionals can play an important part in making positive change happen.

“I think we’ve got the chance as a construction industry and a project industry to innovate and actually be the leaders, because I think if we always rely on government to lead, we’re probably going to end up stuck in point-scoring politics rather than something that benefits everyone.”

Finding meaning in your project

If you’re struggling to create a sense of purpose, then try reframing what you do.

Do you have a strong vision for the project and how your contribution fits into the bigger picture? If not, can you appreciate how the project’s outcomes will benefit the wider community? Can you join the dots between your individual effort and the end result?
Are you surrounded by people who share a common ethos of doing something for the greater good? If not, can you find ways to connect the dots between your project and your team’s work with its outcomes that will help others to achieve more?
Can you introduce an element of something that really matters to you as an individual into the project? Could this be about taking action on sustainability or diversity and inclusion? Being proactive about an issue you feel strongly about could land with a receptive audience and bring others on board.
Is there a legacy that you can leave? If the project you’re working on doesn’t create anything you feel has a tangible benefit, can you find a way to share the experience and knowledge working on it has given you, and then share these lessons with others and help them in their own career?