Meaningful and Meaningless Work

Source: Good Free Photos

Several years ago, Catherine Bailey and Adrian Madden published an article for MIT Sloan Management Review titled, "What Makes Work Meaningful — Or Meaningless."  Here's their summary of the findings from their research:

We interviewed 135 people working in 10 very different occupations and asked them to tell us stories about incidents or times when they found their work to be meaningful and, conversely, times when they asked themselves “what’s the point in doing this job?” We expected to find that meaningfulness would be similar to other work-related attitudes, such as engagement or commitment, in that it would arise purely in response to events or situations within the work environment. However we found that, unlike these other attitudes, meaningfulness tended to be something intensely personal and individual; it was often revealed to employees as they reflected on their work and its wider contribution to society in ways that mattered to them as individuals. People tended to speak of their work as meaningful in relation to thoughts or memories of significant family members such as parents or children, bridging the gap between the public and the personal realms. We also expected meaningfulness to be a relatively enduring state of mind experienced by individuals towards their work; instead, our interviewees talked of the unplanned, unexpected or surprising moments during which they found their work deeply meaningful. 

We were anticipating our data would show that the meaningfulness experienced by employees in relation to their work was clearly associated with the actions taken by managers, such that, for example, transformational leaders would have followers who found their work meaningful, whereas transactional leaders would notv . In fact, our research showed that although quality of leadership received virtually no mention at all when people described meaningful moments at work, poor management was top of the list of meaning-destroyers. 

Leaders need to consider these findings carefully.   How are they contributing to an environment in which employees find their work meaningful?  How are they eroding meaning or frustrating those who seek meaning in their work? Meaning is incredibly important when it comes to intrinsic motivation and performance. As Google found in their study of team performance, titled Project Aristotle, "Finding a sense of purpose in either the work itself or the output is important for team effectiveness. The meaning of work is personal and can vary: financial security, supporting family, helping the team succeed, or self-expression for each individual, for example."

Do You Find Your Calling or Craft It?

I listened to an episode of the Hidden Brain podcast in which Shankar Vedantam interviewed Yale Professor Amy Wrzesniewski.  The episode focuses on the notion of finding your calling.  When it comes to choosing a job or profession, many people advocate finding your passion.  According to this line of thinking, if you search long and hard, you can discover your vocation or calling, and as a result, you will find your work meaningful.   If you do meaningful work, then you will be happier, more engaged, and more productive. What's the problem with that line of thinking?  Well, what if you spend a great deal of time pondering your future, and you cannot discern your calling?  What if you simply aren't sure?  Many young people become incredibly frustrated because they simply aren't sure what their calling is.  They don't know how to find it.  

Professor Wrzesniewski has a different point of view, one that bears serious consideration.  She has studied how people find meaning in their work.  Wrzesniewski argues that some people engage in a practice she calls "job crafting."  On the podcast, she explains her study of workers who cleaned the halls and rooms at a hospital.  When asked to describe their job, some workers talked strictly about the responsibilities listed in the job description.  In contrast, others defined their job differently.  They talked about how they engaged with doctors, nurses, patients, and the patients' families.  They viewed their job as involving responsibilities beyond those mandated by their supervisors.  According to Wrzesniewski, these workers had "crafted" their job in a way that felt much more meaningful to them. They were part of the process of caring for these patients, not simply the person responsible for washing the floors or taking out the trash.   

Wrzesniewski argues that we can all engage in the job crafting process.  In so doing, we can make meaning in our work.  We don't necessary find meaning only by searching our soul to discover our calling.  We can also find meaning by shaping how we define the job we do, the roles we play in an organization, and the constituents with whom we interact.  Wrzesniewski argues that job crafting often involves thinking how we interact with others at our organization.  We often find meaning in those relationships and in how we serve various constituents.  

Should You Pursue a Side Gig?

Jane Porter has written a good article for Fast Company this month.  The article is titled, "How a Side Gig Can Be Your Key to Career Satisfaction."   Porter argues that side gigs just don't just provide us with extra money.  They can provide us meaningful work that makes us happier and more productive overall.   Porter writes:

Having a side gig to work on outside of your regular job isn't just about earning extra cash. Most importantly, a side project offers the opportunity to do meaningful work that can promote career growth and satisfaction. "Choosing a side gig is deeply personal; the right one fits like a favorite pair of jeans, stretchy in all the right places," writes Kimberly Palmer in her book The Economy of You. "Side-giggers find ways to exploit their unique skills and interests along with what’s currently marketable."

How do you select the write side gig?  Palmer argues that you should consider several questions.  Do you have the skills required to be successful in this side gig?  Second, are there low barriers to entry, meaning can you get started with limited expense?  Third, can you make the gig work in terms of work and family schedule?  Most importantly, though, you have to ask yourself:  Will this extra work be meaningful for me?  Is it about more than the money?