Creating Meaning at Work
In prior blogs we’ve introduced you to the concept of “Emotional Compensation” which is defined as what employees need to thrive at work. There are seven components of emotional compensation:
Respect
Recognition
Autonomy
Personal growth
Belonging
Progress
Meaning
In past blogs, we’ve discussed the first six and this blog focuses on the last, but certainly not the least one—Meaning.
It’s not hard to guess why meaning at work is important. We all want to think that what we do matters, that there is a sense of purpose, and that is at the heart of meaningful work.
It all starts with your organization’s mission and values. If you promote them on your website, talk about them in interviews and in your onboarding process, odds are you will attract people with similar values. But, of course, talking about your mission and your values isn’t nearly enough—you must live them both inside and outside your organization.
Most people who join a new organization feel a connection to the mission and to the values. Their connection will be specific to them so managers and leaders must understand how that particular employee connects to the organization.
Let each employee know how their work fits into the strategic work your department does. This is easier for some jobs that are highly visible. For example, your sales team won’t need to be told where their job fits or how valuable it is to your organizational success. However, someone’s job that his more “behind the scenes” like HR or accounting might need you to assure them that without what they do, your sales staff couldn’t bring in the revenue needed to keep in business.
One way of letting people know where their work fits is to talk more about why you do certain things in your department. It can make a big difference if people know not just that some tasks must be done but why those talks are significant to the big picture.
When people know that their work has meaning, it can make all the difference to their morale and to their contribution. And, when your work has meaning, work can be a bit more fun and a lot more fulfilling.
In an earlier blog, we shared a simple yet powerful way to be sure you are meeting you team’s Emotional Compensation needs: It is simply to make it possible for your employees to form connections—with the organization, or their work or their manager, or their co-workers. If these connections exist, your chances of retaining them will go up dramatically.