Purposeful Work

Over the past several years, and especially since early 2020, there has been an incredible focus on the many, many facets of how enterprises address how work is done from various perspectives: workplace, workforce, operations, finance, etc. After all, it made (and still makes) sense: in the midst of the frightening early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the very aspects that supported how work was done needed to be reimagined in the wake of lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing. And while the emergency phase of the pandemic is over, these transformations are still required to truly optimize the many ways work can be done.

As time passed, however, something incredibly interesting brewed below this layer of pandemic-specific responses: the so-called “Great Resignation” quickly became an outlet for workers and professionals to prove that the workforce needed the power, control, and better conditions to perform productively and effectively.

The undercurrent of the Great Resignation had nothing to do with entitlement, generational differences, or a lack of work ethic (as some executives would suggest), but was rather a result of a “talent revolution” in which non-compensatory attributes became more critical for professionals in the wake of the deadliest public health crisis of our lifetime.

Flexibility became a critical element of this greater idea, as more and more workers had to contend with daycare and schooling issues. Diversity and inclusion became even more important in the wake of the pandemic, as professionals required workplace environments that supported mental health issues, respected burnout, and reimagined the workplace to be inclusive of diverse voices.

This all converges into one key notion: the why of work becoming a crucial aspect of the business arena.

Business leaders that focus on the “why” are the ones that will have deep, talented teams of dedicated workers who value their roles, respect the overall vision of the greater enterprise, and work towards productive outcomes that benefit both themselves and the organization. Getting to this idyllic culture hinges on one key aspect: purpose. Purposeful work was the great, hidden element responsible for so much of the movement during those 18 or so months of the Great Resignation; the mental and emotional fallout of the pandemic resulted in the human side of the workforce seeking purpose in their work, their roles, and within their careers.

While now, in 2023, it’s no secret that humanity has become a more powerful attribute of the world of work, there is something bigger and more expansive at hand. The reasons people rise out of bed in the morning and dedicate a large chunk of their days (and, of course, their lives) to work is facilitated on purpose and a greater understanding of the impact of their roles on themselves as humans. It’s about the cultivation of interests, skills, and aspirations. The “why” revolves around the parallels between “work” and “careers,” and how goals are transformed into lifelong efforts to create, innovate, and make a difference.

The Future of Work movement may often be associated with how work is done, given the focus on workplace models, workforce management, the evolution of talent acquisition, and other aspects that fuel the contemporary enterprise. However, the why has become just as critical for a deeper and dynamic reason: humans are meant to strive for more, align their inner selves with career interests, and desire purpose in what they do, and this should be the foundation of how we think about the ways work is done given the incredible impact of talent in today’s hyper-competitive market.