Example: Meaningful work motivates
Lone works in a shop selling domestic appliances. She is also a job coach and is planning a new employee’s first day. She lays out a folder with introduction material and a nametag and thinks about what she has to remember to say. She cares about giving new colleagues a good start, and is happy that she’s been asked to train them.
In her opinion, it’s extremely important and makes sense that new employees quickly learn how things are done at the shop. She therefore takes pride in giving them a good start and is thoroughly prepared to welcome the new employee.
What does meaningful work mean?
When there is meaning in your work, you feel that there is cohesion and purpose in your work. Cohesion is about seeing how you and your work contribute to the company’s operations and development. Purpose is about seeing that you contribute something that’s meaningful to the company, and to yourself personally.
What makes work meaningful?
What makes work meaningful is not the same for all people. What makes work meaningful for one employee, does not necessarily make work meaningful for another.
However, most of us will experience that work is meaningful when we:
- Make an important contribution at work and make a difference.
- Can see the purpose and meaning of the work we perform.
- Are part of the culture and social community at work.
Benefits of a meaningful work
Experience shows that feeling your work makes sense and has purpose benefits the individual employee and the workplace in general, because it:
- Benefits the working environment: It increases motivation and job satisfaction and improves wellbeing.
- Creates engagement.
- Provides a sense of cohesion and quality in life, and is important for the individual’s self-confidence and identity.
- Can prevent negative aspects of work from becoming overwhelming and leading to reduced wellbeing.