8 Traits of Meaningful Work
We all want more meaning when it comes to our work, but all too often we don't have it. Consider the following 8 traits.
Much of our identity is tied up with our work and given we spend a great portion of our lives at work, it shapes a lot of the 3Ps- personal development, personal growth, and our psychology.
The problem is that for many people work is a source of much unhappiness and unrest and for others, it's just a means to an end. However, the world is changing and more and more people are wanting work with more meaning and purpose.
In fact, I would say there is a whole generation of people out there who are reshaping the way we think about work and making a living. One of these people is Barrett Brooks — COO at Convertkit who several weeks ago spoke on The Meaning Movement Podcast ( one of the best podcasts on work and meaning).
In the podcast, Brooks listed eight traits which he believes contribute to meaningful work. These highly resonated with me and actually inspired me to write this piece.
I want to share them with you in the hope that they not only resonate with you, but you can actually start applying them to your work. I’ve added some of my own thoughts to his tips.
If your currently out of work you can still reflect on them and keep them in mind as you journey on your career path.
Please keep in mind that the list is not exhaustive but its certainly a great starting point.
So, here they are:
1.Solve an Important Problem or Unimportant Problem in a Meaningful Way
Every worker from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy is involved in solving some type of problem. This could be a big problem like designing aircraft for faster travel, developing a vaccine, and protecting government systems from cyber attacks. An unimportant problem could be something like designing greeting cards and giving a share of the profit to a charity.
2. Work Should Align With Your Beliefs
This requires much soul searching and self-reflection as you must first develop a strong sense of self in which you know who you are, who your not, and who you want to be. From here you can start putting the stakes in the ground — your values, core beliefs, code of conduct, etc.
3. Be surrounded by a Great Tribe of People
Essentially this is about having people that respect and trust you and genuinely care about you. If you’re a solo worker I suggest that you surround yourself with good clients that embody these traits. Don’t just go for any client just because they are paying you. Recently I heard someone say that one of our responsibilities in life as human beings is to find our tribe of people. I think there is much wisdom in this should be applied to our personal lives.
4. Freedom to Fail and Take Risks
This is about being able to learn through your mistakes and not just simply get fired or get dismissed and be seen as an incompetent and bad worker. All successful people failed many times to get to where they are now. You’re no different!
5. Allow You to Grow
You should be allowed to grow in your work and be yourself. Too many workplaces don’t encourage you to be yourself and sadly thousands of people have to hide who they are at work. You can still be professional and be yourself and continue to grow.
6. Financial Security
Ultimately you may have the best job in the world but if you can’t put food on the table and pay your bills then it’s not viable. Financial security is a human necessity and hence why it even forms part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
7. A Great Environment
This is an environment where traits like justice, fairness, and integrity actually exist. I have found that some companies have mission statements and so-called lists of values which are just lip service. They don’t actually implement what the say they abide by. In addition, many workplaces have a ‘clicky culture’ where exclusion is the name of the game, and credit is not given where its due. In time this leads to a toxic workplace.
If you’re a solo worker, create your own great environment by putting in place great systems and structures that enable you to work at the highest level.
8. Transparency
Transparency builds trust in personal relationships and it does the same in work relationships. Everyone from the top down should have transparency about the company they work for. This involves having transparency about things like the financial status, an individual’s role and responsibilities, new systems being implemented, etc. Without transparency how can you expect to build trust?
In conclusion, I hope this list of 8 traits that contribute to meaningful work has given you some important things to think about when it comes to your work.
I highly recommend that you take the time especially now during COVID-19 to take a pause, and do some self-reflection and prepare to ask yourself questions like:
What is missing in my career? What is good about it? Where are the gaps?
Does it excite me to get out of bed? How can I make it better?
Do I enjoy working with my colleagues? Is it time for a change or do I need to change?
Having meaningful work increases the overall quality of your life and contributes to a better you.
To Creating a Better You,
Sandra Di Francesco
Feel free to drop me a line at copythewriteway@gmail.com
