What Makes Work Meaningful - or Meaningless

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What Makes Work Meaningful Or

Meaningless
1. Is Your Company Ready to Operate as a Market?
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3. Achieving Meritocracy in the Workplace
Catherine Bailey and Adrian Madden
Newresearchshowsbiasexistseveninmeritbasedsystems
butadatacentricapproachcanhelp.
Newresearchoffersinsightsintowhatgivesworkmeaningas
wellasintocommonmanagementmistakesthatcanleave
employeesfeelingthattheirworkismeaningless.
Meaningfulworkissomethingweallwant.ThepsychiatristViktor
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Franklfamouslydescribedhowtheinnatehumanquestformeaningis
sostrongthat,eveninthedirestcircumstances,peopleseekouttheir
purposeinlife. 1 Morerecently,researchershaveshown
meaningfulnesstobemoreimportanttoemployeesthananyother
aspectofwork,includingpayandrewards,opportunitiesforpromotion,
orworkingconditions. 2 Meaningfulworkcanbehighlymotivational,
leadingtoimprovedperformance,commitment,andsatisfaction. 3 But,
sofar,surprisinglylittleresearchhasexploredwhereandhowpeople
findtheirworkmeaningfulandtherolethatleaders
canplayinthisprocess. 4
Weinterviewed135peopleworkingin10very
differentoccupationsandaskedthemtotellusstories
aboutincidentsortimeswhentheyfoundtheirwork
tobemeaningfuland,conversely,timeswhenthey
askedthemselves,Whatsthepointofdoingthisjob?
Weexpectedtofindthatmeaningfulnesswouldbe
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similartootherworkrelatedattitudes,suchas
engagementorcommitment,inthatitwouldarise
purelyinresponsetosituationswithinthework
environment.However,wefoundthat,unlikethese
otherattitudes,meaningfulnesstendedtobeintensely
personalandindividual 5 itwasoftenrevealedto
employeesastheyreflectedontheirworkandits
widercontributiontosocietyinwaysthatmatteredto
themasindividuals.Peopletendedtospeakoftheir
workasmeaningfulinrelationtothoughtsor
memoriesofsignificantfamilymemberssuchas
parentsorchildren,bridgingthegapbetweenwork
andthepersonalrealm.Wealsoexpected
meaningfulnesstobearelativelyenduringstateof
mindexperiencedbyindividualstowardtheirworkinstead,ourintervieweestalkedofunplannedor
unexpectedmomentsduringwhichtheyfoundtheirworkdeeplymeaningful.
Wewereanticipatingthatourdatawouldshowthatthemeaningfulnessexperiencedbyemployeesin
relationtotheirworkwasclearlyassociatedwithactionstakenbymanagers,suchthat,forexample,
transformationalleaderswouldhavefollowerswhofoundtheirworkmeaningful,whereastransactional
leaderswouldnot. 6 Instead,ourresearchshowedthatqualityofleadershipreceivedvirtuallynomention
whenpeopledescribedmeaningfulmomentsatwork,butpoormanagementwasthetopdestroyerof
meaningfulness.
Wealsoexpectedtofindaclearlinkbetweenthefactorsthatdroveuplevelsofmeaningfulnessandthose
thaterodedthem.Instead,wefoundthatmeaningfulnessappearedtobedrivenupanddecreasedby
differentfactors.Whereasourintervieweestendedtofindmeaningfulnessforthemselvesratherthanit
beingmandatedbytheirmanagers,wediscoveredthatifemployerswanttodestroythatsenseof
meaningfulness,thatwasfarmoreeasilyachieved.ThefeelingofWhyamIbotheringtodothis?strikes
peopletheinstantameaninglessmomentarises,anditstrikespeoplehard.Ifmeaningfulnessisadelicate
flowerthatrequirescarefulnurturing,thinkofsomeonetramplingoverthatflowerinapairofsteeltoed
boots.Avoidingthedestructionofmeaningwhilenurturinganecosystemgenerativeoffeelingsof
meaningfulnessemergedasthekeyleadershipchallenge.
About the Research

Meaningfulworkisatopicthatisreceivingincreasedattention.However,relativelylittleempirical
researchinvestigatesindepthwhatmeaningfulworkactuallymeanstoindividuals.Toaddressthis,we
undertookanextensivereviewoftheliteratureonmeaningfulworkfromvariousfields,including

psychology,managementstudies,sociology,andethics.Drawingonthesefindings,wedefined
meaningfulworkasarisingwhenanindividualperceivesanauthenticconnectionbetweenworkanda
broadertranscendentlifepurposebeyondtheself. i
Toconductourresearch,wewantedtogarnerinsightsfrompeopleinawiderangeofworksituations.We
interviewed135individualsin10verydifferentoccupationsandaskedthemabouttimeswhentheyfound
theirworkmeaningfulormeaningless.Theoccupationalgroupswestudiedwere:retailassistants,priests
fromvariousdenominations,artists(includingmusicians,writers,andactors),lawyers,academicsfrom
sciencedisciplines,entrepreneurswhohadstartedtheirownbusiness,nursesinanacutecarehospital,
soldiers,conservationstonemasonswhowereworkingonthepreservationofanancientcathedral,and
garbagecollectors.AlldatawerecollectedintheU.K.Wetranscribedtheinterviewsandcodedthemby
themetouncoverpatternsinhowpeopleviewtheirwork.
The Five Qualities of Meaningful Work

Ourresearchaimedtouncoverhowandwhypeoplefindtheirworkmeaningful.(SeeAboutthe
Research.)Forourinterviewees,meaningfulness,perhapsunsurprisingly,wasoftenassociatedwitha
senseofprideandachievementatajobwelldone,whethertheywereprofessionalsormanualworkers.
Thosewhocouldseethattheyhadfulfilledtheirpotential,orwhofoundtheirworkcreative,absorbing,and
interesting,tendedtoperceivetheirworkasmoremeaningfulthanothers.Equally,receivingpraise,
recognition,oracknowledgmentfromothersmatteredagreatdeal. 7 Thesefactorsalonewerenotenough
torenderworkmeaningful,however. 8 Ourstudyalsorevealedfiveunexpectedfeaturesofmeaningful
workinthese,wefindcluesthatmightexplainthefragileandintangiblenatureofmeaningfulness.
1. Self-Transcendent
Individualstendedtoexperiencetheirworkasmeaningfulwhenitmatteredtoothersmorethanjustto
themselves.Inthisway,meaningfulworkisselftranscendent.Althoughitisnotawellknownfact,the
famousmotivationtheoristAbrahamMaslowpositionedselftranscendenceattheapexofhispyramidof
humanmotivation,situatingitbeyondevenselfactualizationinimportance. 9 Peopledidnotjusttalk
aboutthemselveswhentheytalkedaboutmeaningfulworktheytalkedabouttheimpactorrelevancetheir
workhadforotherindividuals,groups,orthewiderenvironment.Forexample,agarbagecollector
explainedhowhefoundhisworkmeaningfulatthetippingpointattheendofthedaywhenrefusewas
senttorecycling.Thiswasthetimehecouldseehowhisworkcontributedtocreatingacleanenvironment
forhisgrandchildrenandforfuturegenerations.Anacademicdescribedhowshefoundherwork
meaningfulwhenshesawherstudentsgraduateatthecommencementceremony,atangiblesignofhow
herownhardworkhadhelpedotherssucceed.Apriesttalkedabouttheupliftingandinspiringexperience
ofbringinganentirecommunitytogetheraroundthecommongoalofachurchrestorationproject.
2. Poignant

Theexperienceofmeaningfulworkcanbepoignantratherthanpurelyeuphoric. 10 Peopleoftenfoundtheir
worktobefullofmeaningatmomentsassociatedwithmixed,uncomfortable,orevenpainfulthoughtsand
feelings,notjustasenseofunalloyedjoyandhappiness.Peopleoftencriedinourinterviewswhenthey
talkedaboutthetimeswhentheyfoundtheirworkmeaningful.Thecurrentemphasisonpositive
psychologyhasledustofocusontryingtomakeemployeeshappy,engaged,andenthusedthroughoutthe
workingday.PsychologistBarbaraHeldreferstothecurrentpressuretoaccentuatethepositiveasthe
tyrannyofthepositiveattitude. 11 Traditionally,meaningfulnesshasbeenlinkedwithsuchpositive
attributes.
Ourresearchsuggeststhat,contrarytowhatwemayhavethought,meaningfulnessisnotalwaysapositive
experience. 12 Infact,thosemomentswhenpeoplefoundtheirworkmeaningfultendedtobefarricherand
morechallengingthantimeswhentheyfeltsimplymotivated,engaged,orhappy.Themostvividexamples
ofthiscamefromnurseswhodescribedmomentsofprofoundmeaningfulnesswhentheywereabletouse
theirprofessionalskillsandknowledgetoeasethepassingofpatientsattheendoftheirlives.Lawyers
oftentalkedaboutworkinghardforextendedperiods,sometimesyears,fortheirclientsandwinningcases
thatledtolifechangingoutcomes.Participantsinseveraloftheoccupationalgroupsfoundmomentsof
meaningfulnesswhentheyhadtriumphedindifficultcircumstancesorhadsolvedacomplex,intractable
problem.Theexperienceofcopingwiththesechallengingconditionsledtoasenseofmeaningfulnessfar
greaterthantheywouldhaveexperienceddealingwithstraightforward,everydaysituations.
3. Episodic
Asenseofmeaningfulnessaroseinanepisodicratherthanasustainedway.Itseemedthatnoonecould
findtheirworkconsistentlymeaningful,butratherthatanawarenessthatworkwasmeaningfularoseat
peaktimesthatweregenerativeofstrongexperiences.Forexample,auniversityprofessortalkedofthe
euphoricexperienceoffeelinglikearockstarattheendofasuccessfullecture.Oneactorwespoketo
summedthisfeelingupwell:MyGod,ImactuallydoingwhatIdreamtIcoulddothatskindofamazing.
Clearly,sentimentssuchasthesearenotsustainableoverthecourseofevenonesingleworkingday,let
alonealongerperiod,butrathercomeandgooveronesworkinglife,perhapsrarelyarising.Nevertheless,
thesepeakexperienceshaveaprofoundeffectonindividuals,arehighlymemorable,andbecomepartof
theirlifenarratives.
Meaningfulmomentssuchasthesewerenotforcedormanaged.Onlyinafewinstancesdidpeopletellus
thatanawarenessoftheirworkasmeaningfularosedirectlythroughtheactionsoforganizationalleaders
ormanagers.Conservationstonemasonstalkedofthesignificanceofcarvingtheirbankersmarkor
masonssignatureintothestonebeforeitwasplacedintoacathedralstructure,knowingthatthestone
mightbeuncoveredhundredsofyearsinthefuturebyanothermasonwhowouldrecognizetheworkas
theirs.Theyfelttheywerepartofhistory.Onesoldierdescribedhowherealizedhowmeaningfulhiswork
waswhenhereflectedonhisquickthinkinginsettingoffthewarningsirensinacombatsituation,ensuring
thatnooneatthecampwasinjuredintheensuingrocketattack.Salesassistantstalkedabouttimeswhen
theywereabletohelpothers,suchasanoccasionwhenacustomerpassedoutinonestoreandtheclerk

wasabletosupportheruntilsheregainedconsciousness.Memorablemomentssuchasthesecontainhigh
levelsofemotionandpersonalrelevance,andthusbecomeredolentofthesymbolicmeaningfulnessof
work.
4. Reflective
Intheinstancescitedabove,itwasoftenonlywhenweaskedtheintervieweestorecountatimewhenthey
foundtheirworkmeaningfulthattheydevelopedaconsciousawarenessofthesignificanceofthese
experiences.Meaningfulnesswasrarelyexperiencedinthemoment,butratherinretrospectandon
reflectionwhenpeoplewereabletoseetheircompletedworkandmakeconnectionsbetweentheir
achievementsandawidersenseoflifemeaning.
Oneoftheentrepreneursweinterviewedtalkedaboutthetimewhenhewasswitchingthelightsoutafter
hiscompanysChristmaspartyandpausedtoreflectbackovertheyearonwhatheandhisemployeeshad
achievedtogether.Garbagecollectorsexplainedhowtheywereabletofindtheirworkmeaningfulwhen
theyfinishedcleaningastreetandstoppedtolookbackattheirwork.Indoingthis,theyreflectedonhow
thetangibleworkofstreetsweepingcontributedtothecleanlinessoftheenvironmentasawhole.One
academictalkedaboutresearchhehaddoneformanyyearsthatseemedfairlymeaninglessatthetime,but
20yearslaterprovidedthetechnologicalsolutionfortouchscreentechnology.Theexperienceof
meaningfulnessisthereforeoftenathoughtful,retrospectiveactratherthanjustaspontaneousemotional
responseinthemoment,althoughpeoplemaybeawareofarushofgoodfeelingsatthetime.Youare
unlikelytowitnesssomeonetalkingabouthowmeaningfultheyfindtheirjobduringtheirworkingday.For
mostofthepeoplewespoketo,thediscussionswehadaboutmeaningfulworkwerethefirsttimetheyhad
evertalkedabouttheseexperiences.
5. Personal
Otherfeelingsaboutwork,suchasengagementorsatisfaction,tendtobejustthat:feelingsaboutwork.
Workthatismeaningful,ontheotherhand,isoftenunderstoodbypeoplenotjustinthecontextoftheir
workbutalsointhewidercontextoftheirpersonallifeexperiences.Wefoundthatmanagersandeven
organizationsactuallymatteredrelativelylittleatthesetimes.Onemusiciandescribedhisprofoundsense
ofmeaningfulnesswhenhisfatherattendedaperformanceofhisforthefirsttimeandfinallycameto
appreciateandunderstandthemusicianswork.Apriestwasabletofindasenseofmeaninginherwork
whenshecouldrelatetheharrowingpersonalexperiencesofamemberofhercongregationtoherownlife
events,andusedthatunderstandingtohelpandsupporthercongregantatatimeofpersonaltragedy.An
entrepreneursmotivationtostarthisownbusinessincludedthedesiretomakehisgrandfatherproudof
him.Thecustomarydinnerheldtomarktheendofasoldiersservicebecameimbuedwithmeaningforone
soldierbecauseitwassharedwithfamilymemberswhoweretheretohearherarmystories.Onelawyer
describedhowshefoundherworkmeaningfulwhenherserviceswererecommendedbyfriendsandfamily
andshefelttrustedandvaluedinbothspheresofherlife.Agarbagecollectordescribedthetimewhenthe
communityswatersupplybecamecontaminatedandhewasaskedtoworkondistributingwatertolocal
residentsthatwasmeaningful,ashecouldseehowhewashelpingvulnerableneighbors.

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Momentsofespeciallyprofoundmeaningfulnessarosewhentheseexperiencescoalescedwiththesenseofa
jobwelldone,onerecognizedandappreciatedbyothers.Oneexampleofmanycamefromaconservation
stonemasonwhodescribedhowhisworkbecamemostmeaningfultohimwhentherestorationofasection
ofthecathedralhehadbeenworkingonforyearswasunveiled,thedrapesandscaffoldingwithdrawn,and
theworkofthecraftsmencelebrated.Thiseventinvolvedallthemasonsandothertradessuchas
carpentersandglaziers,aswellasthecathedralsreligiousleaders,membersofthepublic,andlocal
dignitaries.Everyonegoes,Doesntitlookamazing?hesaid.Thatsthemomentyourealizeyouve
savedsomethingandensureditsfutureyouvegivenpartofthecathedralbacktothelocalcommunity.
Theseparticularfeaturesofmeaningfulworksuggestthattheorganizationaltaskofhelpingpeoplefind
meaningintheirworkiscomplexandprofound,goingfarbeyondtherelativesuperficialitiesofsatisfaction
orengagementandalmostneverrelatedtoonesemployerormanager.
Meaninglessness: The Seven Deadly Sins

Whatfactorsservetodestroythefragilesenseofmeaningfulnessthatindividualsfindintheirwork?
Interestingly,thefactorsthatseemtodriveasenseofmeaninglessnessandfutilityaroundworkwerevery
differentfromthoseassociatedwithmeaningfulness.Theexperiencesthatactivelyledpeopletoask,Why
amIdoingthis?weregenerallyafunctionofhowpeopleweretreatedbymanagersandleaders.
Intervieweesnotedseventhingsthatleadersdidtocreateafeelingofmeaninglessness(listedinorderfrom
mosttoleastgrievous).
1.Disconnectpeoplefromtheirvalues.Althoughindividualsdidnottalkmuchaboutvalue
congruenceasapromoterofmeaningfulness,theyoftentalkedaboutadisconnectbetweentheirown
valuesandthoseoftheiremployerorworkgroupasthemajorcauseofasenseoffutilityand
meaninglessness. 13 Thisissuewasraisedmostfrequentlyasasourceofmeaninglessnessinwork.A
recurringthemewasthetensionbetweenanorganizationalfocusonthebottomlineandtheindividuals
focusonthequalityorprofessionalismofwork.Onestonemasoncommentedthathefoundthe
organizationsfocusoncostdeeplydepressing.Academicsspokeoftheiradministrationsbeingmost
interestedinprofitsandtheavoidanceoflitigation,insteadofintellectualintegrityandtheprovisionofthe
bestpossibleeducation.Nursesspokedespairinglyofbeingforcedtosendpatientshomebeforetheywere
readyinordertofreeupbedspace.Lawyerstalkedofafocusonprofitsratherthanonhelpingclients.

2.Takeyouremployeesforgranted.Lackofrecognitionforhardworkbyorganizationalleaderswas
frequentlycitedasinvokingafeelingofpointlessness.Academicstalkedaboutdepartmentheadswho
didntacknowledgetheirresearchorteachingsuccessessalesassistantsandprieststalkedofbosseswho
didnotthankthemfortakingonadditionalwork.Astonemasondescribedthewaymanagerswouldnot
evensaygoodmorningtohim,andlawyersdescribedhow,despiteputtinginextremelylonghours,they
werestillcriticizedfornotmovingthroughtheirworkquicklyenough.Feelingunrecognized,
unacknowledged,andunappreciatedbylineorseniormanagerswasoftencitedintheinterviewsasamajor
reasonpeoplefoundtheirworkpointless.
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3.Givepeoplepointlessworktodo.Wefoundthatindividuals
hadastrongsenseofwhattheirjobshouldinvolveandhowtheyshould
bespendingtheirtime,andthatafeelingofmeaninglessnessarose
whentheywererequiredtoperformtasksthatdidnotfitthatsense.
Nurses,academics,artists,andclergyallcitedbureaucratictasksand
formfillingnotdirectlyrelatedtotheircorepurposeasasourceof
futilityandpointlessness.Stonemasonsandretailassistantscited
poorlyplannedprojectswheretheywerelefttopickupthepiecesby
seniormanagers.Aretailassistantdescribedthepointlesstaskof
changingtheshoplayoutoneweekoninstructionsfromtheheadoffice,
onlytobetoldtochangeitbackagainaweeklater.
4.Treatpeopleunfairly.Unfairnessandinjusticecanmakework
feelmeaningless.Formsofunfairnessrangedfromdistributive
injustices,suchasonestonemasonwhowastoldhecouldnothavea
payraiseforseveralyearsduetoashortageofmoneybutsawhis
colleaguebeinggivenaraise,tofreelancemusiciansbeingaskedto
writeafilmscorewithoutpayment.Proceduralinjusticesincluded
bullyingandlackofopportunitiesforcareerprogression.
5.Overridepeoplesbetterjudgment.Quiteoften,asenseofmeaninglessnesswasconnectedwitha
feelingofdisempowermentordisenfranchisementoverhowworkwasdone.Onenurse,forexample,
describedhowaseniorcolleaguerequiredhertoperformamedicalinterventionthatwasnotprocedurally
correct,andhowshefeltobligedtocompletethisevenagainstherbetterjudgment.Lawyerstalkedofbeing
forcedtocutcornerstofinishcasesquickly.Stonemasonsdescribedhowbeingforcedtohurryupusing
moderntoolsandtechniqueswentagainsttheirsenseofhistoriccraftpractices.Onepriestsummedupthe
roleofthemanagerbysaying,Peoplecanfeelempoweredordisempoweredbythewayyourunthings.
Whenpeoplefelttheywerenotbeinglistenedto,thattheiropinionsandexperiencedidnotcount,orthat
theycouldnothaveavoice,thentheyweremorelikelytofindtheirworkmeaningless.

6.Disconnectpeoplefromsupportiverelationships.Feelingsofisolationormarginalizationat
workwerelinkedwithmeaninglessness.Thiscouldoccurthroughdeliberateostracismonthepartof
managers,orjustthroughfeelingdisconnectedfromcoworkersandteams.Mostintervieweestalkedofthe
importanceofcamaraderieandrelationswithcoworkersfortheirsenseofmeaningfulness.Entrepreneurs
talkedabouttheirsenseoflonelinessandmeaninglessnessduringthestartupphaseoftheirbusiness,and
thegrowingsenseofmeaningfulnessthataroseasthebusinessdevelopedandinvolvedmorepeoplewith
whomtheycouldsharethesuccesses.Creativeartistsspokeoftimeswhentheywereunabletoreachoutto
anaudiencethroughtheirartastimesofprofoundmeaninglessness.
7.Putpeopleatriskofphysicaloremotionalharm.Manyjobsentailphysicaloremotionalrisks,
andthosetakingonthiskindofworkgenerallyappreciateandunderstandthechoicestheyhavemade.
However,unnecessaryem>exposuretoriskwasassociatedwithlostmeaningfulness.Nursescitedfeelings
ofvulnerabilitywhenleftalonewithaggressivepatientsgarbagecollectorstalkedofavoidableaccidents
theyhadexperiencedatworkandsoldiersdescribedexposuretoextremeweatherconditionswithoutthe
appropriategear.
Thesesevendestroyersemergedashighlydamagingtoanindividualssenseofhisorherworkas
meaningful.Whenseveralofthesefactorswerepresent,meaningfulnesswasconsiderablylower.
Cultivating an Ecosystem For Meaningfulness

Inthe1960s,FrederickHerzbergshowedthatthefactorsthatgiverisetoasenseofjobsatisfactionarenot
thesameasthosethatleadtofeelingsofdissatisfaction. 14 Itseemsthatsomethingsimilaristruefor
meaningfulness.Ourresearchshowsthatmeaningfulnessislargelysomethingthatindividualsfindfor
themselvesintheirwork, 15 butmeaninglessnessissomethingthatorganizationsandleaderscanactively
cause.Clearly,thefirstchallengetobuildingasatisfiedworkforceistoavoidthesevendeadlysinsthat
driveuplevelsofmeaninglessness.
Giventhatmeaningfulnessissuchanintenselypersonalandindividualexperiencethatisinterpretedby
individualsinthecontextoftheirwiderlives,canorganizationscreateanenvironmentthatcultivateshigh
levelsofmeaningfulness?Thekeytomeaningfulworkistocreateanecosystemthatencouragespeopleto
thrive.Asotherscholarshaveargued, 16 effortstocontrolandproscribethemeaningfulnessthat
individualsinherentlyfindintheirworkcanparadoxicallyleadtoitsloss.
Ourinterviewsandawiderreadingoftheliteratureonmeaningfulnesspointtofourelementsthat
organizationscanaddressthatwillhelpfosteranintegratedsenseofholisticmeaningfulnessforindividual
employees. 17 (SeeTheElementsofaMeaningfulnessEcosystem.)
The Elements of a Meaningfulness Ecosystem

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1. Organizational Meaningfulness
Atthemacrolevel,meaningfulnessismorelikelytothrivewhenemployeesunderstandthebroadpurpose
oftheorganization. 18 Thispurposeshouldbeformulatedinsuchawaythatitfocusesonthepositive
contributionoftheorganizationtothewidersocietyortheenvironment.Thisinvolvesarticulatingthe
following:
Whatdoestheorganizationaimtocontribute?Whatisitscorebusiness?
Howdoestheorganizationaspiretogoaboutachievingthis?Whatvaluesunderpinitswayofdoing
business?
Thisneedstobedoneinagenuineandthoughtfulway.Peoplearehighlyadeptatspottinghypocrisy,like
thenurseswhoweretoldtheirhospitalputpatientsfirstbutwerealsotoldtodischargepeopleasquicklyas
possible.Thechallengeliesnotonlyinarticulatingandconveyingaclearmessageaboutorganizational
purpose,butalsoinnotunderminingmeaningfulnessbygeneratingasenseofartificialityand
manipulation. 19
Reachingemployeesinwaysthatmakesensetothemcanbeachallenge.Aclueforaddressingthiscomes
fromthegarbagecollectorsweinterviewed.Onedescribedtoushowtheworkersusedtobetoldby
managementthatthewastetheyreturnedtothedepotwouldberecycled,butthismessagecameacrossas
highlyabstract.Thenthecompanystartedputtingpicturesoftheitemsthatweremadefromrecycledwaste
onthesideofthegarbagetrucks.Thisledtoamoretangiblerealizationofwhatthewastewasusedfor. 20

2. Job Meaningfulness
Thevastmajorityofintervieweesfoundtheirworkmeaningful,whethertheyweremusicians,sales
assistants,lawyers,orgarbagecollectors.Studieshaveshownthatmeaningissoimportanttopeoplethat
theyactivelygoaboutrecraftingtheirjobstoenhancetheirsenseofmeaningfulness. 21 Often,this
recraftinginvolvesextendingtheimpactorsignificanceoftheirroleforothers.Oneexampleofthiswas
salesassistantsinalargeretailstorewholistenedtolonelyelderlycustomers.
Organizationscanencouragepeopletoseetheirworkasmeaningfulbydemonstratinghowjobsfitwiththe
organizationsbroaderpurposeorserveawider,societalbenefit.Thepriestswespoketooftenexplained
howtheirministryworkintheirlocalparishescontributedtothewiderpurposeofthechurchasawhole.In
thesameway,managerscanbeencouragedtoshowemployeeswhattheirparticularjobscontributetothe
broaderwholeandhowwhattheydowillhelpothersorcreatealastinglegacy. 22
Alongsidethis,weneedtochallengethenotionthatmeaningfulnesscanonlyarisefrompositivework
experiences.Challenging,problematic,sad,orpoignant 23 jobshavethepotentialtoberichlygenerativeof
newinsightsandmeaningfulness,andoverlookingthisrisksupsettingthedelicatebalanceofthe
meaningfulnessecosystem.Providingsupporttopeopleattheendoftheirlivesisaharrowingexperience
fornursesandclergy,yettheycitedthesetimesasamongthemostmeaningful.Thetaskforleadersisto
acknowledgetheproblematicornegativesideofsomejobsandtoprovideappropriatesupportfor
employeesdoingthem,yettorevealinanhonestwaythebenefitsandbroadercontributionthatsuchjobs
make. 24
3. Task Meaningfulness
Giventhatjobstypicallycompriseawiderangeoftasks,itstandstoreasonthatsomeofthesetaskswill
constituteagreatersourceofmeaningfulnessthanothers. 25 Toillustrate,apriestwillhaveresponsibility
forleadingactsofworship,supportingsickandvulnerableindividuals,developingcommunityrelations
andactivities,andprobablyawiderangeofothertaskssuchasraisingfunds,managingassistantsand
volunteers,ensuringtheupkeepofchurchbuildings,andsoon.Infact,thepriestswerethemosthard
workinggroupthatwespoketo,withthemajorityworkingasevendayweekonabewilderingrangeof
activities.Evenmuchsimplerjobswillinvolveseveraldifferenttasks.Oneofthechallengesfacing
organizationsistohelppeopleunderstandhowtheindividualtaskstheyperformcontributetotheirjob
andtotheorganizationasawhole.
Whenindividualsdescribedsomeofthesourcesofmeaninglessnesstheyfacedintheirwork,theyoften
talkedabouthowtocometotermswiththetedious,repetitive,orindeedpurposelessworkthatispartof
almosteveryjob.Forexample,thestonemasonsdescribedhowthefirstfewmonthsoftheirtraining
involvedlearningtosquarethestone,whichinvolveschiselingalargeblockofstoneintoaperfectly
formedsquarewithjustafewmillimetersoftoleranceoneachplane.Assoonastheyfinishedone,theyhad
tostartanother,repeatingthisoverandoveruntilthemastermasonwassatisfiedthattheyhadperfected
thetask.Onlythenweretheyallowedtoworkonmoreinterestingandintricatecarvings.Severaldescribed

theirfeelingsofboredomandfutilityonesaidthathehadtaken18attemptstogetthesquaringofthe
stonecorrect.Itfeelslikeyouareneverevergoingtogetbetter,herecalled.Manyfeltlikegivingupat
thispoint,fearingthatstonemasonrywasnotforthem.Itwasonlyinlateryears,astheylookedbackon
thisperiodintheirworkinglives,thattheycouldseethepointofthisdetailedleveloftrainingasthefirst
stepontheirpathtomorechallengingandrewardingwork.
Fillingoutforms,citedearlier,isanothergoodexampleofmeaninglesswork.Individualsinawiderangeof
occupationsallreportedthatwhattheyperceivedasmindlessbureaucracysappedthemeaningfulness
fromtheirwork.Forinstance,mostoftheacademicswespoketowerehighlynegativeabouttheamountof
formfillingthejobentailed.Onesaid,Iwasdroppingspreadsheetsintoahugeblackhole.
Whereorganizationssuccessfullymanagedthecontextwithinwhichthesenecessarybuttedioustaskswere
undertaken,thetaskscametobeperceivednotexactlyasmeaningful,butequallyasnotmeaningless.
Anotheracademicsaid,Imprettygoodwithtediouswork,aslongasitsgotalargermeaning.
4. Interactional Meaningfulness
Thereiswidespreadagreementthatpeoplefindtheirworkmeaningfulinaninteractionalcontextintwo
ways: 26 First,whentheyareincontactwithotherswhobenefitfromtheirworkand,second,inan
environmentofsupportiveinterpersonalrelationships. 27 Aswesawearlier,negativeinteractional
experiencessuchasbullyingbyamanager,lackofrespectorrecognition,orforcingreducedcontactwith
thebeneficiariesofworkalldriveupasenseofmeaninglessness,sincetheemployeereceivesnegative
cuesfromothersaboutthevaluetheyplaceontheemployeeswork. 28 Thechallengehereisforleadersto
createasupportive,respectful,andinclusiveworkclimateamongcolleagues,betweenemployeesand
managers,andbetweenorganizationalstaffandworkbeneficiaries.Italsoinvolvesrecognizingthe
importanceofcreatingspaceintheworkingdayformeaningfulinteractionswhereemployeesareableto
giveandreceivepositivefeedback,communicateasenseofsharedvaluesandbelonging,andappreciate
howtheirworkhaspositiveimpactsonothers.
Notsurprisingly,themoststrikingexamplesoftheimpactofinteractionalmeaningfulnessonpeoplecame
fromthecaringoccupationsincludedinourstudy:nursesandclergy.Inthesecases,therewasvery
frequentcontactbetweentheindividualandthedirectbeneficiariesofhisorherwork,mostofteninthe
contextofsupportingandhealingpeopleattimesofgreatvulnerabilityintheirlives.Witnessingfirsthand,
andhearingdirectly,abouthowtheirworkhadchangedpeopleslivescreatedaworkenvironment
conducivetomeaningfulness.Althoughpriorresearch 29 hassimilarlyhighlightedtheimportanceofsuch
directcontactforenhancingworksmeaningfulness,wealsofoundthatpastorfuturegenerations,or
imaginedfuturebeneficiaries,couldplayarole.Thiswasthecaseforthestonemasonswhofeltconnected
topastandfuturegenerationsofmasonsthroughtheirbankersmarksonthebackofthestonesandforthe
garbagecollectorswhocouldenvisagehowtheirworkcontributedtothelivingenvironmentforfuture
generations.
Holistic Meaningfulness

Thefourelementsofthemeaningfulnessecosystemcombinetoenableastateofholisticmeaningfulness,
wherethesynergisticbenefitsofmultiplesourcesofmeaningfulnesscanberealized. 30 Althoughitis
possibleforsomeonetodescribemeaningfulmomentsintermsofanyoneofthesubsystems,
meaningfulnessisenrichedwhenmorethanoneorallofthesearepresent. 31 Asalesassistant,forexample,
describedhowshehadbeenworkingwithateamontherefurbishmentofherstore:Wedallbeenthere
until2a.m.,workingtogethermovingstuff,everyonehadcontributedandstayedlateandhelped,itwasa
goodtime.Wewereexhaustedbutwestilllaughedandthenthenextmorningwewereallbrightinour
uniforms,itwasalovelyfeeling,justlikealittlefamilycomingtogether.Theday[thestore]opened,itdid
bringtearstomyeyes.Wehadalittlegatheringandaspeechthemanagerssaidthankyoutoeverybody
becauseeveryonehadcontributed.
Findingworkmeaningfulisanexperiencethatreachesbeyondtheworkplaceandintotherealmofthe
individualswiderpersonallife.Itcanbeaveryprofound,moving,andevenuncomfortableexperience.It
arisesrarelyandofteninunexpectedwaysitgivespeoplepauseforthoughtnotjustconcerningwork
butwhatlifeitselfisallabout.Inexperiencingworkasmeaningful,weceasetobeworkersoremployees
andrelateashumanbeings,reachingoutinabondofcommonhumanitytoothers.Fororganizations
seekingtomanagemeaningfulness,theethicalandmoralresponsibilityisgreat,sincetheyarebridgingthe
gapbetweenworkandpersonallife.
Yetthebenefitsforindividualsandorganizationsthataccruefrommeaningfulworkplacescanbeimmense.
Organizationsthatsucceedinthisaremorelikelytoattract,retain,andmotivatetheemployeestheyneed
tobuildsustainablyforthefuture,andtocreatethekindofworkplaceswherehumanbeingscanthrive.
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