The Meaning in Life

Michael,

This is a lovely post about an important topic. Meaningfulness in work has been a focus of much organizational scholarship, and happily has become more and more prominent lately. I appreciate every effort to help people recognize the importance of finding something meaningful in the work that they do to support themselves financially, as well as in their avocations.

Often, when I talk with clients about helping employees find meaning in their work, we focus on the larger purpose of the organization -- whether this is something noble like 'better living thru chemistry' or something more mundane like "getting the streets repair so people can drive safely". This is a very important strategy.

Sometimes, though, the actual work that people do is hard to link to an enobling purpose. Yes, I know that hospital janitors can understand themselves as caregives, and that's great. But this kind of creative re-conceptualizing can be hard for some workers, expecially when they don't feel like their organizaiton really 'means' what it says about its collective purpose.

Thus, it becomes important to remind employees that they can find meaning in their work *thru the relationships that they have with other workers...*

The meaning doesn't have to come through the widgets you're making. It can come thru and be created in your relationships with other wideget makers.

Not only the task and the organization, but also the interaction with other people, are sources for meaning at/in work. And, when the task and the organization let you down, you are still able to create something meaningful with the people you work with.
cvh

Wonderful post! I really enjoy your blog.

Any work can be meaningful in an ideal world. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world. When we live in a world in which corporations are able to systematically exploit workers, communities, and the environment for the sole sake of profit, I find it difficult to believe that any work can be meaningful.

I really appreciate this perspective on work. I'm always struggling with my desk job that enables me to make a living yet lacks much of what I consider to be meaningful work. Spending much of my free time volunteering in order to fulfill the desire to see a tangible result can be tiring. Trying to change one's perspective on what can be considered meaningful is the challenge. The effort at work doesn't show in tangible ways, but it does show in the relationships.

Michael,

Stumbled across your blog and have enjoyed it immensely. So thanks!

Couldn't agree more with this post. I think anyone can find meaning in work by looking at the bigger picture. Human society is a collaboration of individuals, each contributing their skills and abilities to the collective effort. It's a giant network and the individual's task is to identify his / her talents and find a way of contributing them. If one is using one's talents and working for an organisation that provides a product or service valued by others then one has a meaningful job.

Caring professions and many charities make a meaningful contribution, but that does not mean the work of other organisations lacks meaning. Doctors, teachers, charity workers still need houses to live in, food to eat, bank accounts, places to let their hair down and so on. We all need each other. Even (competent, properly incentivised) bankers! :) Debating which jobs are meaningful is a bit like debating which human organ is the most important. Well, they all are!

That's not to say that anything goes. We must all act ethically whether from a charity or a bank. As they say, it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it!

Joe