For most people, purpose at work is built not found. Working with a sense of purpose day-in and day-out is an act of will that takes thoughtfulness and practice. How do you consciously endow your work with purpose? First, connect work to service. Ask yourself, who do I serve? Connecting your day-to-day jobs — consciously and concretely — to those we’re ultimately serving makes completing that work more purposeful. Next, craft your work – and make work a craft. Shape your tasks to make them more meaningful, and dedicate yourself to learning perfecting key skills in the role. Then, invest in positive relationships by developing collegial relationships at work. Finally, remember why you work. Identify the person or group of people in your personal life that your work is in service for, and keep them in mind when you work through even the most tedious of tasks. Purpose isn’t magic — it’s something we must consciously pursue and create. With the right approach, almost any job can be meaningful.
A wonderful New York Times article from 2007 recounted the 20th annual “Operator’s Challenge” — aka the “Sludge Olympics” — a competition for New York sewage treatment workers. The participants compete to show skill in their work, and often do so with great passion. Emily Lloyd, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, said of the work the competitors do, “It’s tough work. It’s frequently unpleasant work. And they’re terrific at it.” And as you read the article, you note the pride the competitors have in their work and the purpose they find in doing it well. One man, George Mossos, noting how anonymous their work can be, is quoted saying, “It’s enough to serve the public.”
See The Original Blog:
https://hbr.org/2017/12/to-find-meaning-in-your-work-change-how-you-think-about-it?fbclid=IwAR0SmNw0MsqDPdKq07KG8ozREHrANZ-qE_sl66nK1UvL73iX0jFTZXV6yMc
