In my role as a professor in the Tippie College of Business, I study people who experience high levels of meaningfulness in their jobs. Their work is well aligned with their purpose in life and they cannot imagine doing anything else. Their descriptions of their work echo religious sentiments. They say they were “called” to their professions.
But is meaningful work reserved for only a few select professions? Or can we all find meaning in our work?
Recently, I had an experience of highly meaningful work. After being a professor for 13 years, I became the chair of my academic department, the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship. Although I worked more hours than I had at any point in my career and parts of the role were frustrating, I found the position deeply meaningful. I mentored smart, dedicated junior faculty and removed obstacles to help them do their best work. I participated in strategic planning, thinking about ways to better serve our students. I was reminded every day of the good work that was happening in the department, the college, and the university.
I describe leadership to my students as “the great multiplier.” Through engaging others in a shared purpose and empowering them to act, effective leaders exponentially increase the impact of teams and organizations. Leaders often track the impact of their teams, telling stories of their accomplishments and further reminding themselves of their purpose. Leaders also face increased demands and stress, but for me, leading was meaningful work.
I started to think I might stay on the administrative track when, in my fourth year as department chair, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. My symptoms are still relatively mild, but the demands of leading exceeded my capabilities. I needed to step out of the role, but I didn’t want to lose the sense of meaning and purpose I felt as a leader.
I turned to research on finding meaning in work and found three strategies that can increase meaning and purpose, no matter what role you play.
Be clear on your values.
I reflected on how being department chair aligned with my personal values. The students in my leadership and personal development class do a values sorting exercise every semester. During the pandemic, I did it with them to remind myself what is important to me. My core values are curiosity, compassion, and contribution. As department chair, one of my most meaningful activities was mentoring junior faculty. I tried to craft required performance reviews into two-way ongoing conversations about success and support in a way that combined my values of compassion and contribution. Performance reviews are no longer a part of my formal role, but I found several people open to informally continuing those developmental conversations. Being clear about what you value can help you find activities that align with those values.
Be intentional about how you show up at work.
I realized I could continue to live out my values not just through the tasks I performed, but by how I showed up at work. This was a lesson I learned from my mom, who worked as a local lumber yard bookkeeper. She was glad to have a steady job in our small town. It allowed her to contribute to our family income, but the tasks weren’t especially meaningful. Instead, she found meaning in the ways that she showed up at work. She genuinely cared for the people she worked with, and her work was meaningful because of the relationships she built. No matter what your formal role is, you can show up at work in a way that’s consistent with your values.
Celebrate how you make a difference.
Even when I am making a difference, I don’t always realize it. When people don’t feel like they are making progress at work, I advise them to keep a “done list,” a list of things they accomplish every day. Alternatively, if you want to increase your sense of meaning and purpose, your “done list” might focus on how you helped others or how you lived out your values. In addition to tracking moments of meaningfulness, consider sharing them with others. Celebrating the ways you make a difference and helping others see the ways they make a difference is something you can do in any role.
Since stepping down as department chair, I’ve found that meaningful work is not reserved for only a few professions. We can choose to pursue meaningfulness every day. I hope these strategies help you find ways to live out your purpose at work.
If you are interested in learning more strategies, listen to the Finding Meaning in Work episode of the Tippie Leads podcast (and explore the other great Season 1 episodes on engaging employees). For more on maintaining meaning during life transitions, check out my Substack, “Who Am I Now?”
Cover image by Priscilla Du Preez.