Searching for purpose where we work
There’s something common about all the places I’ve worked in my career. And as I reflect more upon that common thread, I am starting to realize something important about myself.
I tend to gravitate towards organizations that exude a strong sense of purpose in everything they do. I am realizing that when my internal drummer is marching to the same beat as that of whatever organization I am in, I find it much easier to get out of bed, go the extra mile, and instill motivation in my teams. When the beat is off, I usually know it, even if it takes me months or years to realize it.
In today’s professional environments, the lines between work and life are blurry. Our emails and instant messengers are always on. We work weekends to catch up from the prior week and get ahead of the next one. The stresses of work bleed into our home lives no matter how hard we try. All of that means time away from friends, family, and ourselves.
What does it take to make that tradeoff work? For a lot of people, it takes a lot more than just the paycheck; it takes a strong connection to the mission and purpose. Instead of striving for work-life balance, we strive for work-life harmony: where the energy you get from the purpose of your work helps propel you forward in life.
A sense of purpose may come easier for people in some industries, such as education and healthcare, than it does for others; but they certainly don’t have a monopoly on it. Think about the aviation industry. At first glance, their true purpose isn’t as clear. But if we think about the work that has been done over the last 50 years to lower the cost of air travel (all while making it safer), it has enabled so much: people can now travel much more easily to pursue career opportunities, connect with loved ones, or learn about other cultures. All of those things make the world a better place and those who work in aviation made that happen.
For people or organizations struggling to find their sense of purpose, spending time with customers can be a great start. I love asking them what our organization helped them achieve. Hearing their excitement when talking about our product or their appreciation when talking about our company fuels my fire. For teams, the warmth from a positive customer impact story can last for weeks!
I firmly believe that people don’t like working at organizations that feel hollow. CEOs don’t like leading them either. So whether you’re the leader of a company, a small team, or just your own life, spend time connecting your day to day work with a larger mission that you care about.
Trust me: you’ll have a spring in your step from all that extra positive energy and sense of achievement.
