Keller designs The ONE Thing to help individuals learn to more effectively set goals and achieve success by aligning their priorities with their purpose. Throughout the book, he also suggests that businesses have purposes just as individuals do—the implication being that businesses have to live up to their purpose or risk failing. Companies like Coors, Apple, KFC, Walmart, and the Star Wars franchise exemplify qualities Keller values in both businesses and individuals, such as focus and innovation.

Keller’s book does not directly criticize any specific companies or people, but it does remark that businesses that do not function in alignment with their purpose are misguided. He is resistant to the idea of the status quo or business as usual. For instance, when providing his recommendations for how individuals should structure their time to achieve success, Keller writes, “Normal business culture gets in the way of the very productivity it seeks because of the way people traditionally schedule their time” (167). A 9-to-5, Monday through Friday schedule, for instance, might not be the most conducive to productivity. Similarly, expecting that workers should schedule their tasks around meetings rather than holding meetings at times that are accessible to workers can crush productivity.