Chances are, money is a frequent topic in your organization—the money coming in, the money going out, whether to raise prices, lower them, give raises, hold off, invest in new equipment, or hire another team member.
Hopefully, you’re sharing financials with your team. (If you're not, don't worry—here's how.) But just as important as talking about money is explaining why it matters.
Many people filter money—especially money in business—through a negative lens, associating it with greed, power, or materialism. There’s a reason it’s called cold, hard cash—not warm, fuzzy funds.
So here’s where you come in
Connect the money to the mission. Link the purpose to the profit.
Your organization does not exist to make money.
Really.
You’re in business to fulfill a mission.
The why behind your organization is what fuels pride in the work you do. It’s the driving force behind the products or services you provide. It’s the real reason your organization exists.
But that mission? It’s powerless without money.
The power of money is what it makes possible
Money is energy.
Money is what fuels your purpose. It’s the water that flows into and through your organization, sustaining what you want to grow. Money makes it possible to build, innovate, and serve at a higher level.
This is the relationship your team needs to understand:
Money provides energy to fulfill the mission. Fulfilling the mission generates money, which in turn nurtures and expands the mission.
They go hand in hand.
Money allows for stability, growth, and impact. It creates freedom, security, ease, and generosity.
That’s the power of money. And this is the message your team needs to hear.
Make it tangible
When you're telling your team, make sure to share specific, concrete examples that relate to your organization. To reinforce their accountability and ownership, turn the thought experiment over to them, and ask:
- Imagine that our team budget doubled overnight. More funds are suddenly available for technology, training, or headcount. What could we change? What might we do?
- Imagine that our revenue doubled overnight. More funds are suddenly available across the company. What would that change for our colleagues? Our customers? What impact might there be on our mission?
When you talk about the numbers, always bring it back to the why. When you share a win, share how it fuels the next step. Help your team feel the connection—not just to the work, but to the impact they’re powering.
A final thought on language
In this post, we intentionally used the word money instead of profit. Why? We've found it makes a difference.
"Profit" can feel like corporate jargon. "Money" feels real—visceral.
We recommend you do the same with your team. But whatever you do, don’t forget to make the connection for them: Profit is simply the energy available to expand the mission.
Want more support bringing the power of money into your culture?
