Happiness at Work and Doing Something Worthwhile
We all want to feel we’re doing something meaningful with our lives. Given that we’re at work for roughly half the time we’re awake, surely it follows that we want to do a job which we feel is worthwhile?
The answer: yes we do, according to Lacey, Bokemeier, & Shepard. They found that the feeling of doing something worthwhile, of having ‘meaningful work’, is one of the things we most desire. This quality is also closely tied to levels of Happiness at Work, motivation, and performance. And employees who complete meaningful work are less stressed, more productive, and have higher levels of job satisfaction, involvement, and engagement (May, Gilson, & Harter, 2004).
Watch these worker ants using their own bodies to build a raft to get their queen to safety. Granted, they may not be less stressed, but their common purpose means they’re hugely productive, involved and engaged:
But it’s not just ant colonies that derive meaning on a task-specific basis. For humans too, meaningfulness is defined as “the value of a work goal or purpose, judged in relation to an individual’s own ideals or standards” (May, Gilson, & Harter, 2004).
Theodore Roosevelt knew this:
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
This is all well and good for those with Roosevelt’s calling, but as Airbnb’s Chip Conley outlines in the clip below, these feelings can also apply to people working in the service industries or manual laborers. But only when they feel that they are making a contributing to something or someone they value.
The benefits of doing worthwhile work
Some of the benefits of doing worthwhile work are relatively straightforward. People who engage in meaningful work report more positive mental states, greater psychological wellbeing and less emotional, physical, or even mental stress.
And there are other benefits too. Greater meaning leads to greater motivation, higher engagement, more job satisfaction and opportunities for growth. And all this may lead to increased Happiness at Work and in turn more meaning in your work, thus creating a ‘virtuous cycle’
Helping employees find meaning in their work
So we can see that both employees and employers benefit significantly from creating meaningful work. There are also a number of things you can do as an employer to help your people find meaning. These three are a good place to start:
- Do something of indisputable value so people feel they are contributing to a larger mission and shared goal
- Make your organization’s vision crystal clear
- Create meaning by connecting each employee’s contribution to your client’s needs
If you want to discuss this subject or how else we can help your people give their best at work, then please give us a shout!
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