Meaning Making

“Meaning is the sense of purpose and significance that people derive from their work, and it can have a profound impact on employees’ well-being, creativity, and loyalty.”  ~Greg Shea, Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management

In his book, Make It Matter, author Scott Mautz suggests that there may be no greater driver of meaning in the workplace than work that is purposeful and significant. Purpose creates a sense of personal mission to do something worthy of our time and energy. Purpose integrates who we are with what we do; it provides clarity and intentionality. 

According to Greek myth, Sisyphus was banished to the underworld and punished with extreme hardship. (There are a number of different stories regarding what he did to bring this punishment upon himself.) What was the extreme hardship/punishment he faced? Sisyphus was condemned to ceaselessly roll a large rock to the top of a mountain only to have it roll back down - not once, not twice but for eternity. Futile, hopeless, and meaningless work - without end - was the ultimate punishment.

When meaning isn’t present in our work we tend to disengage at some level. According to Gallup research on engagement among American workers, in 2023 less than one-third of employees were engaged. In a post-pandemic world, “Employees still feel more detached from - and less satisfied with - their organizations and are less likely to connect to the companies’ mission and purpose or to feel someone cares about them as a person (Jim Harter, Gallup).”  The Gallup research outlines five key drivers of employee engagement; purpose, growth and development, a caring manager/leader, ongoing feedback/conversations and a focus on strengths. They unequivocally state that “People want purpose and meaning from their work.”

So as leaders how do we make meaning for ourselves, our people, our organization and our stakeholders? Meaning making leaders co-create mission and vision and share it widely through story and the alignment of our work and resources. Another way we make meaning and create engagement is to tap into people’s strengths and talents; employees want to be known for what makes them unique and for their contributions from those strengths. Relationships based on trust are foundational; when we lead with honesty and authenticity we can connect our work and the work of our people to the larger purpose and help people derive meaning from their work. 

Take some time to reflect on how you as a leader create meaning. What are some of the things you do to connect people to the greater purpose? What might you do to help your people connect to purpose and meaning in their work?