MEANINGFUL WORK
Meaningful work has always mattered to me. Throughout my career I've been lucky to believe in what I was doing, and why I was doing it. Plus, I've worked with like-minded and like-hearted people, who've also drawn a deep sense of purpose from their work.
Meaningful work is increasingly popular: a 2018 study found that 90% of people are willing to earn less money to do work they find meaningful. For many people it's become even more important following the pandemic.
I've written more about what makes work meaningful, and my experiences of meaningful work in my blog.
Meaningful work is usually good for us, and the organisations we work for. Gallup’s research into wellbeing suggests that having meaningful work supports our financial stability, our physical health, our relationships and the extent to which we feel part of a community. There can also be some potential downsides of meaningful work however, which I explored in my MSc research entitled "'Few things in life are easy and worth doing': how the bi-directional relationships between meaningful work and work-related stress can both help and hinder well-being".
Meaningful work makes regular appearances in my coaching work, perhaps helping clients to find and experience more meaning in their current work, or supporting them to identify and transition to a more meaningful career.
Plus, I run meaningful work workshops and 'lunch and learn' sessions, in which participants can explore job crafting techniques to help them enjoy more meaningfulness.
Get in touch to find out more about how meaningfulness can play a bigger part in your work and career, or those of your team or organisation.