Purpose - Aim - Target - Intention - Goal

Easier to define by looking at differences.

Function: The function of a tool, is the tasks that a particular role is assigned to accomplish. ... Purpose is very simply, the “why” behind our function.

Function: the kind of action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution; the purpose for which something is designed or exists; role. Purpose: the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.1

Role: Like the word “tool”, a role defines where a person or entity will fit into the scope of things. Unlike the carpenter, which is the head, the “tool” will be working under the carpenter, but ahead of the nails. Defining the roles of your team members helps keep everyone organized, knowing who will be responsible for what tasks.

Function: The function of a tool, is the tasks that a particular role is assigned to accomplish. A hammer is a tool. To describe the function of a hammer, though, you would say that a hammer drives nails, removes nails, generally hits other lesser tools really, really hard. Another way to describe function is to think about when you read job descriptions–someone may be the Project Manager, but that’s just their role. What will their function at the company actually be? Well to answer that question, we list off the tasks that the PM will be doing. These tasks form the function of a particular role. Finally we come to Purpose. Purpose is very simply, the “why” behind our function. What is the ultimate goal of our efforts? To what end are we giving of our time and energy? These answers define our purpose.

mission is what it does

Aim vs Target/Objectives

Aim	What we hope to get or what we want to do; might take a long period of time.
Target/Objectives	The exact result of what we want to get; it is tangible and concrete.

Purpose vs Intention

The generally accepted definition is that an organisation's purpose is the reason or why it exists - why it does what it does.

Strategic intent focuses the Management's attention on tasks and activities that will fulfil the organization's purpose. Employee intention focuses an individual's attention on tasks that contribute most to the organisation's purpose. In an ideal scenario, employees' personal intentions for their life and career (core intentions) should dovetail in some way with the organization's purpose.

Stafford Beer proposed POSIWID.

POSIWID

The Purpose Of a System Is What It Does. There is no point in claiming that the purpose of a system is to do what it constantly fails to do.

Systems theorists widely use the term to counter the notion that the purpose of a system can be read from the intentions of those who design, operate, or promote it. When a system's side effects or unintended consequences reveal that its behavior is poorly understood, then the POSIWID perspective can balance political understandings of system behavior with a more straightforwardly descriptive view.

Purpose	The reason “why” we do what we do. Something we might have already done. It explains ‘why’. (e.g. I came here to see you.)
Intention	Something we want to do but have not done it yet. Focuses attention on making things happen. Example: I intend to go to the shops this afternoon. Intention shapes what we say and how we behave, which can result in getting results or achieving targets, but it’s not our overarching purpose. Intention is a way to get there.

Intention vs Goal

The main difference between intention and goal is that intentions are vague and broad, while goals are comparatively more specific.
Goals involve the expectations, actions, and results of what we want to achieve.

Both intentions and goals describe what we want to achieve:

• An intention is an idea we plan to carry out.
• A goal is an aim or objective that we work toward with effort and determination
• We usually create goals based on our intentions.

Both intentions and goals have a time dimension:

• Goals are a destination or specific achievement.
• Intentions are lived each day, independent of achieving the goal or destination.

Intentions and goals differ on whether they are external or relational

• Goals are external achievements.
• Intentions are about our relationship with ourself and others.