The Meaning in Life

Seeking a Life that Matters

Michael Steger, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Counseling Psychology and Applied Social Psychology programs at Colorado State University. See full bio

June 9, 2009, Work

Comments on "Meaningful Work"

Meaningful Work

By Michael F. Steger, Ph.D. on June 9, 2009 in The Meaning in Life

A famous story relates the following encounter: Three men are found smashing boulders with iron hammers. When asked what they are doing, the first man says, "Breaking big rocks into little rocks." The second man says, "Feeding my family." The third man says, "Building a cathedral." To many of us who study and consult in occupational and organizational contexts, we would call what this third man does meaningful work. Read More

Meaningful 'work' more varied than we think

Submitted by CV Harquail on June 9, 2009 - 5:55am.

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