What is the purpose of work and how is this work interpreted? Imagine a party: Suddenly you find yourself in a kind of conversation circle. The topic turns to careers. Someone says, "I have to go back to work on Monday." You frown: "Interesting, it's different for me. On Monday, I get to produce results again." You can bet that you'll get surprised, questioning, or even judgmental looks. I know this for sure because I've tried it a few times.
People who identify strongly with their company don't just go to work. No! They go and make an impact. They make a difference. They produce results. They recognize the meaning of their work. Others point to a core problem: employees often don't know what purpose their company serves, what ethical pillars it is based on, and what philosophy guides its actions. They ask themselves, what is the meaning of their work?
Meaning No. 1: The purpose of the company
Why do people work? Employees need to know why they do what they do. Not just who they work for, but what purpose their company serves. Those who work solely for a paycheck lack deeper motivation. Those who don't understand the meaning of their work replace enthusiasm with duty-driven diligence—and that costs valuable performance. But this corporate purpose does not arise from framed printouts of company values in the breakfast room, but from every leader who experiences the meaning of their work themselves and authentically exemplifies it. And as a leader, you decide this meaning yourself! This is the ideal path to personal responsibility. What you do makes as much sense as you can give it yourself. In short: leader "meaning," employees experience it.
Meaning No. 2: Personal development
The annual performance review with an employee is coming up. Ask yourself critically: How strongly and specifically have I helped this person develop? Then give your counterpart thoughtful, clear feedback: What is their next stage of development and where exactly are they on the path to getting there? If you haven't clearly defined this yourself, you lack the tools to assess your people beyond fleeting impressions. This often leads to the bluffers dominating the quiet champions and the supposedly "seasoned forces" secretly already being on the path to stagnation.
By the time you realize that you can no longer get this locomotive up to speed, others with more potential will have switched to slow trains in frustration or signed up with another railway company. These signals then spread, and informal politics paralyze your company worse than the most intense snake venom.
Ethical inventory
Have you closely observed your employees throughout the year, thought about their development, and given them regular feedback? Does everyone in the team know what stage of development they are at and where they are on that journey? Have you thoroughly understood the purpose of the company and the meaning of your work, and consistently exemplified this?
The year is drawing to a close. It's time to draw honest conclusions from what we've consciously thought about, and time to do many things better in the new year. But be careful! It's not about doing everything perfectly, but about doing the important things even better. That's a huge difference! Perfectionism leads to unhealthy dissatisfaction that attacks your health. Be smart and consistently refuse to participate in perfectionism.
That's why you're not really happy.
Why success and fulfillment have nothing to do with each other.
Image source: ©Daniel_Nebreda Pixabay
