Did you know creating meaning in work can help people feel connected to the purpose behind what they’re doing, and ultimately boost their productivity? Research has shown that employees who feel their personal purpose aligns with the purpose of their employer are more likely to be engaged and motivated. And from a business perspective, connecting people to meaning reduces turnover and boosts retention.
The meaning behind every business isn’t always obvious, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.
For example, if you’re running an SEO agency, your meaning might be about helping other businesses grow by being found by their ideal customers online. Or if you’re a mechanic, you might find meaning in knowing you’re helping people be safer on the roads.
Finding this meaning is finding the golden thread that runs through your business, connecting your people to the ‘why’ behind what they do.
Communicating this meaning can remind people of why they’re there, beyond the obvious paycheck.
Dare to think big
Start by creating your bold and inspiring purpose, and being really explicit about what it is.
If you don’t already have one, now’s the time to get your people involved in creating one, and then testing it with a few clients or customers to see if it rings true. Think about how you can have a bigger impact beyond just your business.
It’s a great first step towards encouraging your people to contribute big ideas to your business in a safe and supported way. You never know who or where the next great idea might come from.
Ideally, you want to inspire your people to play a part in helping your business achieve its purpose, so focus on outcomes and problems to solve, rather than specific tasks. If you can set the direction for your team and then give them autonomy on how they get there, you’ll find people become more engaged and motivated.
What could you ditch?
In any small business, it’s normal to get into patterns of doing what you’ve always done.
You might be getting bogged down in admin and meetings, be tied to prescriptive job descriptions which no longer serve the purpose of the business, or be allocating work with instructions ‘by the boss’ rather than encouraging more autonomy and contribution across the wider team.
Encourage your people to suggest what could be ditched – make it fun with a session where they’re invited to ‘pitch what we should ditch’ – you might be surprised at what comes up!
Whatever you choose to ditch, ideally it will free up space for you to be more aligned with your newly defined purpose. For example, many companies are ditching traditional performance review processes, and bringing in regular coaching conversations instead.
Dial-up what’s working
Now that you’ve ditched what’s no longer serving you, what could you dial up and do more of? What’s working well and deserves more attention and energy?
Perhaps you could dial up an idea one of your team members had had, and give it the resources it needs to flourish.
Share examples of what other companies are doing and invite your people to do the same. Schedule a regular time to talk about this. Perhaps try one new thing each month? How might you encourage your people to experiment?
Perhaps you could dial up the way you’re embedding new technologies such as AI into your everyday processes to boost efficiency. Or you could experiment with new ways of delivering customer service and communication.
Now is the time for change. What will you do differently to create more meaning in your workplace?
