In experiencing work as meaningful, we're not workers – we think as human beings. Our common humanity comes to the surface. If you want to manage meaningfulness, focus on ethical and moral responsibilities. These topics bridge the gap between work and personal life, advises the management-issues.com website.
The What Makes Work Meaningful — Or Meaningless study identified five qualities of meaningful work:
- It's self-transcendent: Work seems to be more meaningful to us when it also matters to others. Therefore, meaningful work is self-transcendent.
- It's demanding: People feel that their work is meaningful at moments when they have uncomfortable, or even painful thoughts and feelings. So it's not only about a sense of endless happiness.
- Meaning is episodic: It turns out that a sense of meaningfulness arises from time to time, it's not sustained all the time. The actual feeling of meaning arises as a result of strong experiences.
- It's reflective: We don’t usually experience meaningfulness in the moment. It comes in retrospect, when we reflect on our completed work. At these times, we're able to make connections between our achievements and meaning in a wider sense.
- It's personal: Meaningfulness is often understood not just in the context of the work itself, but also with regards to the whole context of our personal life experiences.
If managers disconnect people from their values, override the better judgment of others or disconnect their people from supporting relationships, meaning is blurred and can disappear. Organizations with meaningful jobs are more likely to attract, retain, and motivate their people.
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