What is the Meaning of Your Work?
I talk to people all the time who wonder if they should get a new job. Some are unhappy in their current role, some are ok- but still wonder if the grass is greener at another company. My answer is always twofold- you should always know what your options are- or in other words, what your street value is, and you should also consider what makes you happy in life, and how your job fits into that. As an employer I would always encourage my employees to take interviews- I want people who work for me to do it because it is their best choice, not because they are a hostage without alternatives. I also want the people who work for me to have lives- full, balanced lives — of which work is only a part.
At some companies where I worked, there was definitely the view that if you were interviewing, you were a traitor. Bosses would go as far as firing employees who were “disloyal” enough to take an interview. I thought this was nonsense then, and my view only intensified when I was the boss. Why would you want people to work for you who could do better elsewhere? Why wouldn’t you, as the boss, try to make the work environment so attractive that people want to stay? I would also encourage the people who worked for me to create their own boundaries — where work ends and life outside of work begins. The boss can’t create these boundaries for you, but the right work culture will support you in doing so.
In my career there were definitely times when the only way to move up, or to get a new challenge, was to move firms. Sometimes that wasn’t the case, and in working with my boss I was able to continue to grow at the company where I was. For me, it has always been really important to be very engaged and enthusiastic about the work that I go to every day- we all spend so much time at our jobs, why not be excited about it? I realize that in every work there are days that are difficult and unpleasant- but overall, it is important to find work that is rewarding, if possible. The job I hated the most (teaching at a University) I stayed in, not because I didn’t have alternatives, but because as the mother of small children it was by far the most flexible schedule I could get, allowing me the time I valued with my kids. For me it was worth it to do a job that I didn’t enjoy for an overall life that I wanted.
It is really important to step back and think about what the purpose of work is in your life. Maybe work isn’t meant to be the thing that gives our lives meaning- as good and rewarding as it can be to work. For the vast majority of the world, work is what allows you to eat and have a roof over your head- that is the meaning. If there is any additional gratification, that is just gravy. On this topic of work and meaning, the two books that I regularly recommend to people are “The Art of Happiness at Work” by the Dalai Lama, and “How Starbucks Saved My Life” by Michael Gill.
The Dalai Lama provides an excellent perspective on how to bring meaning to the work you do, rather than looking for the work to provide the meaning- which will be important at some point for all of us. In short, the idea is that two people can work on the same assembly line, one can grumble about the boredom of the job and hate their day, and the other can be grateful for work that puts food on the table, and perhaps be glad to be creating something that the world needs.
“How Starbucks Saved My Life” is a memoir written by a man who had a high status job, and then lost it all. Out of desperation he found himself working as a Starbucks barista- and ends up learning a lot about humility, friendship- and becomes a much better person in the process. He also becomes a much happier person than when he was a high flyer at a Madison Ave marketing company. This book hit close to home for me- as a young person I waitressed for years, and really loved it. My sister (a very successful professor, who also waitressed when she was young) and I were just talking about how we could envision going back to waitressing when we are old ladies- just because we both liked it so much (as hard as it is on your feet!).
It is a good idea to know what your professional options are, but it is perhaps more important to take a hard look at how work fits into your overall life. Maybe your current job isn’t as intellectually stimulating any longer- but perhaps it allows you time with your family, or to volunteer, or to work on a project in your free time. Or maybe at your current work, you can bring a new attitude to see how you can make it better for the people around you. We often have more options than we think to change the world around us- it all depends on our attitude and perspective.
