Executive Coaching
by Caroline M. Spira, MPA, CEC
Getting down to work every day can be fun, mind-numbing, challenging, tantalizing or a massive chore. Few of us have a choice in whether we have to work or not. What can make a difference is how we feel about work; is it meaningful to us? But just how do we know what is “meaningful work”?
Thankfully, finding “meaning” in everyday activities is far less philosophical a task than musing about the meaning of life. Yet the topic, especially as it relates to our work lives, is nonetheless intriguing. In an entirely non-scientific survey, people from various walks of life were asked what “meaningful work” meant to them. Very openly, they provided incredible insights and wisdom propelling the exploration into the quest for meaningful work another step forward.
Would these kind people surveyed dish dirt on meaningless work? Would they offer up evidence that meaningfulness is actually meaningless? Where does meaning actually come from?
Every single respondent to the survey agreed with the statement: all types of work can be considered meaningful. However, the same group was divided as to whether “meaningful work” was an ideal hard to achieve. Whether this is a contradiction or not came down to something entirely external to the work itself – it resided in the attitudes and perceptions of individuals.
A sense of “balanced altruism” seemed to be the common thread between their definitions of meaningful work. At various points, respondents stated that making some level of difference was an important factor. “Work that is satisfying, that has a positive impact… the kind of work that makes you say I did a good job today, this week, this month, this year… is meaningful work,” said Michele, a teacher. Positively affecting the well-being of others and providing a benefit to other people was at the core of most of the personal definitions provided by those who completed the survey.
The idea of engagement – being connected, learning, and personal growth - is also woven into this notion of giving meaning to others. Tina, a Community Support Worker, said “having the opportunity to assist others to develop, work, and reach their goals is truly meaningful to me. My work also provides many challenges and learning opportunities for myself that can make each work day a small adventure.”
But, is being connected and making a difference the only element of meaningful work?
Ultimately, the meaningfulness of work comes down to the attitudes and perceptions of the individuals doing the work. “All work can be meaningful if the worker has a positive attitude towards their profession and does the work in a compassionate, caring manner… And have fun doing it” said Marilyn, Manager for Economic Development. How the work is perceived strongly shapes whether a person believes that their work meets the larger definition of meaningful work.
“We seldom recognize the meaning in what we do. Many of us always strive for the home run, the major win and do not recognize that the little things count,” mused Patty, Executive Coach and Business Excellence Consultant. Recognizing this tendency begins to clarify how meaningful work can begin to seem as an ideal if one’s attitude is not engaged. “Even washing dishes can be meaningful considering that it will allow others to eat off reusable plates,” added Tina.
Clearly, establishing a mindset that is open towards recognizing the value of work is critical. Also evident, however, is that, ultimately, “meaningful” is a personal definition – people construct their own meaning and make conscious decisions when deciding what is meaningful to them and what is not. This proved, in fact, to be a crucial differentiating factor between the answers provided by the survey’s respondents.
Tapping into meaningful work therefore becomes a choice. As Executive Coach, Dianne, noted, the challenge of making this choice lies in the fact that it requires “an alignment of the head and the heart, and not everyone is aware of that or how to achieve that.”
It is precisely this alignment that can lead to greater understanding of a person’s contribution – the meaningfulness of their work regardless of what this work is. This can be bolstered in individuals as well as organizations. And why shouldn’t it be? The more a person feels their work is meaningful, the more it shows in “how” they work. And isn’t that a great boost to an organization!
By increasing this connection and by switching from examining what the work “is” to what the work affects can help make a difference in itself. The quest for meaningful work then becomes a much simpler task and creates a balanced altruism that the survey’s participants said was so important.