This morning, as I watched TV coverage of the space shuttle Atlantis touching down at Edwards Air Force Base in California, I said a silent prayer of thanks for the safe return of the craft and crew. Today’s landing completed the 124th successful space shuttle flight (of 126 attempts). That’s an admirable success rate for something that is still a quite dangerous activity. But is it really successful? What exactly have we succeeded at? More to the point, what did we set out to do? What is the mission of our space program?

Full stop. I’m not, repeat NOT beating up on NASA. It’s just that their purpose, their raison d’etre isn’t so clear any more. When President Kennedy announced the moon mission in 1961, it was crystal clear. Today, not so much. Similarly, when we took military action against Iraq in the first Gulf War, our purpose was entirely clear. Today, not so much. So what’s the point? Simple…

When you ask a group of people to come together and really lean into an activity, any activity, the odds of getting selfless, truly committed, balls to the wall effort are entirely dependent on them having a clear sense of purpose and direction. That is especially the case when you’re asking them to sacrifice, to bleed for the cause, and continue doing it over a protracted period.

Today, owing to intense global competition, a sputtering economy, and a financial meltdown of epic proportion, we’re all asking workers to suck it up, expend copious amounts of their discretionary effort, and in general to TOFTT. That’s perfectly appropriate, but we must understand that motivating people to do something out of fear (of financial penalty, losing one’s job, extinction, what have you) is effective only in the short term. Not unlike the jolt one gets from a cup of coffee, the benefits quickly wear off. As leaders of the currently out of favor political party are figuring out, it is simply not sustainable. In a sprint, fear works. In a marathon, hope wins… every time. So what to do?

1. As leaders in the midst of a storm, we must redouble our efforts to explain and reinforce for all hands on deck what it is we’re about, what the organization stands for, and where it’s headed. Do not assume that people remember something that you think you made clear six months or even six days ago. There are simply too many other competing thoughts in their minds at present.

2. Make darned sure that your people understand, explicitly, where they fit in and why their work, their best effort, matters. Don’t just tell them, show them.

3. Once the mission and expected contribution are clear, advise your folks that they are at liberty, no, expected to discontinue any activities that do not support those purposes. You’ll be pleasantly amazed how much wasted effort comes to a screeching halt.

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows