Finding Purpose And Doing Work That Matters

This is a long read. Approximate time - 8 Min

Think about the last time, pre-COVID; you were at a social gathering with completely new people. People you had never met before. Maybe it was a conference or seminar. Perhaps it was a cocktail party.

People ask you your name - and invariably, the next question is - “What do you do?”

What we do seems to define who we are. I’m posting this article on LinkedIn, a place where people exclusively broadcast what they are doing and plan to do on the work front - but is work what makes us? Should it define everything about us - where we hyphenate ourselves (as most of us do on social media) as entrepreneur-dad-home chef-marathoner-yogi?

Between the media frenzy of achiever lists, awards, and recognition for “work,” have we equated it with something that it’s not? Work is important, no doubt. It pays the bills.

The money we earn gives us the comforts we need (and whoever says money doesn’t bring some amount of happiness is probably lying) but work has become a monster that now dictates how we see ourselves.

Work And Its Meaning

The Oxford Dictionary defines work as “to do something that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job.” And a job is defined as “paid work.” So if this is the bare minimum of what work is - should it define us entirely?

Technology drives the modern world. And as we see automation in motion, there is fear around whether work as we know it will become obsolete, and whether humans will be out of jobs soon.

If a job is paid work - and we are no longer being paid to work because automation takes our jobs - how do we survive?

The thing is, work shouldn’t be a set of tasks executed for pay. It needs to be fulfilling and purpose-driven to keep us whole. Economist Adam Smith described work as “toil and trouble.”

At the same time, Alfred Marshall stated that “man rapidly degenerates unless he has some hard work to do, some difficulties to overcome,’ and that some form of strenuous exertion was necessary for physical and moral health. To him, work gave one a sense of purpose and fulfillment.?

Classical sociologist Max Weber looked at work as a vocation, a calling, and a task given by God as a form of religious devotion. (Largely due to the Protestant movement where church-goers did not have confession and had to take their troubles elsewhere - so why not work, in the name of God?)

Studies conducted in the 1930s in a Depression-hit village in Vienna showed that workers in the village who lost their jobs felt directionless, had more ill-will towards others, and became increasingly antisocial, foregoing clubs, sports, and social events. This behavior is still prevalent today, as seen during the multiple financial crises the world has faced since the 1990s.?

Work gives people purpose and direction.

Why else then, would someone like the late Captain Krishnan Nair of Leela Hotels, continue to work well past his retirement age, even with the company in the able hands of his children and grandchildren??

It also gives one social standing - signaling to others that you live a purposeful and happy life. Those without a job may feel their life is without meaning - along with a sense of shame that they are not able to provide for those dependent on them.?

It’s a two-street: in the culture of meritocracy we live in, the unemployed are branded lazy and “welfare-cheque scroungers,” while those with jobs also face resentment from the jobless.?

Finding Purpose

Work can be two things: fun, fulfilling, and worthwhile (beyond the economics of it), or dull, dreary, and Kafkaesque in nature.

This is the kind of work that feels so unnecessarily complicated that even on the other side of success, you wonder whether it was worth it at all in the first place.

Think of a young clerk in a government office or large corporation. His main job is probably to file paperwork. It’s an important task - without him filing it, the task cannot progress, and the larger goal cannot be achieved.

But the tedium of this repetitive, uninspiring job probably doesn’t inspire or fulfill him, even with a pat on the back or appreciation from his higher-ups.?

We long assumed that our hunter-gatherer ancestors spent most of their time - well, hunting and gathering. And, exhausted at the end of the day, had time for little else other than to eat, sleep and procreate.

So these “savages” had no time to worry about a sense of purposes like our lucky generation, born into the age of technology and convenience.?

But recent studies suggest that our ancestors spent significantly less time on hunting than we imagined - meaning, they had time for leisure and fulfillment and found their sense of purpose elsewhere.?

Since ancient times, society has been divided into those who enjoy life and those who toil. Some ancient cultures looked upon work as degrading. In his ideal state, Plato confined certain workers to the “artisan class,” denying them the opportunity to run state affairs. In some scriptures, work was seen as punishment. (And among Scientologists, menial tasks are doled out as punishment even today.)?

But as we evolved, society realized that one could find meaning and purpose through work - if we chose right, and had the privilege to.

That’s where the problem lies. Workers in British factories during the Industrial Revolution certainly didn’t enjoy a sense of fulfillment.

And it is unlikely that a young paralegal in a law firm, an intern getting coffee, or an executive assistant who only pencils in her boss’ calendar feel a sense of purpose of fulfillment.

And the pandemic has brought on even more intense feelings of disillusionment with work. This needs to change.?

The Dreaded Education System And Finding Work That Matters

Almost all institutes today prioritize education from the standpoint of getting a job. The sheer number of professional colleges is a testament to that.

You go to school to gain skills; you use those skills to find a job and support yourself financially so that you can use those finances to fund your leisure which will help you find purpose and meaning in life.?

But as we move to the world of automation, how do we help our children find meaning and purpose with less time spent at the office? We’re scared of what the future holds; we want to secure it, make sure we have enough to live off of, make sure our kids will be okay. (The boom in kids' coding classes is a signifier of how petrified some of us are of traditional work being done away with by automation). It lies in finding and doing work that matters.?

The Nature Of Tasks

We’re often told to hustle and get ahead, climb the corporate ladder and have it all figured out before 30. But how many people on the 30 under 30 list have startups that have succeeded in the long run? How many creative directors of reputed agencies get there in 5 years? Hardly any.?

There’s a difference between work that grabs eyeballs and work that makes an impact. Making changes, innovating, and investing in the growth of those around you is what makes an impact. And to get there, we first need to understand the nature of work and where to focus our efforts.?

Easy to execute + high impact + highly valued

This is the best kind of work, isn’t it? You can get it done in a cinch; it creates a high impact, and everyone values it. However, not that easy to come by.?

One of the best examples of this kind of work would be the KitKat jingle - Give Me A Break, which launched in 1988 and stayed the same for YEARS. Television and film composer Michael Levine composed it as a throwaway piece - something that the client would say no to because no one can go into a pitch with just one song. These throwaway jingles are more of an afterthought since there is always a better (and more likely to be chosen) the second jingle. The throwaway gives that piece a bump up. Levine had a tight budget and couldn’t afford singers, so he sang it himself. But when they went in to make the presentation - the folks over at KitKat loved the low-effort, small-budget throwaway piece - and stuck with it. And it led to one of the greatest earworms ever produced in advertising.?

So this was an easy-to-execute piece of work that made a HUGE impact and has been highly valued - we’re still talking about it decades after the first commercial went on air. But these kinds of projects are less likely to pop up on a day-to-day basis.?

Easy to execute + low impact + valued by self

These are those simple tasks that give you a sense of being productive/a sense of accomplishment but don’t impact the overall scheme of things. You feel like you’ve done something - and you have - but you’re probably not learning much from it or growing. And in all likelihood, your bosses and organization won’t pay much attention to it, because it’s required of you. Filling up your time with several tasks of this nature will keep you occupied but not fulfilled or with a sense of purpose. The reality is, these tasks cannot be avoided daily, but you need to intersperse them with more “high value” tasks that challenge you, help you grow, and keep you happy and fulfilled.?

Low impact + high visibility + high appreciation:

This is the kind of work that doesn’t do much in the way of creating an impact, generating profits, or growing the organization, but catches eyeballs and gets appreciation for a short while.

For example, in TV journalism terms, this could be an interview with a celebrity that looks and sounds great but doesn’t do much for viewership/TRPs and has no real journalistic value. This kind of work can bring in short-term results - but may not give you a chance to explore or grow into more complex roles and responsibilities. At the end of the day, appreciation makes us feel valued and is a quick boost to the ego - but if you are stuck performing the same kind of task for years on end, without room to learn and grow, is it worth it?

Stuck in the past: This refers to investing time and effort in changes that will likely fail or bring no to low-impact because you’re stuck in the past. Instead of looking at the past, look at the problem on hand before you make changes. This rings particularly true for new hires who are brought in as “fixers” to help failing teams or organizations.?

The Nature Of The Workplace

A lot of how you approach work also depends on where you work. Some companies thrive on a chest-thumping, peacocking culture. The more you show off - even if it’s of little value - the more seriously they take you. If it’s all about paying obeisance to the powers that be - go ahead, if that’s your thing.?

Some companies may appreciate employees who keep their head down and keep at it, with quiet perseverance. Others may be fixated on sales. You need to analyze how your organization functions before you decide how and where to focus your efforts.?

Where To Add Your Efforts

Based on the above analysis, it’s easy to see that the best place to “work” and add your efforts is easy and high-impact tasks. But let’s face it: those are few and far between. You need to look at the bigger picture. Here’s where to invest your time and effort and why.?

Where the walls are crashing down: If something dire is happening at your company - focus your efforts there. Nothing can work well until that issue is addressed.? If the problem isn’t that dire - maybe hold off on putting all your efforts there. The fact is - these crises may not be the best place to focus your efforts on a personal level, but if the shit is hitting the ceiling - there won’t be a workplace at all.?

In work that’s worthy of attention, but still in the shadows: There is room in every organization for work that’s worthy of attention but rarely receives it because the leadership doesn’t value that work or hasn’t discovered its value. There’s scope to progress in these areas of work rapidly - but at some point, you’ll realize it’s getting bigger and that you need support. But since it’s not seen as a moneymaker or valued, getting that support becomes difficult. That doesn’t mean you give up - you advocate for the attention it deserves.

In growth: Growth does not simply mean adding more employees. Hiring and onboarding are areas where companies invest time and effort - but mentoring and coaching and neglected. Devoting time to developing the team around you matters and can go a long way in real growth for you and your company.?

In editing and refining: Most times, a small change or modification can be the key to a project’s success. Making an intelligent change to something that’s getting stuck can often shift project outcomes - with just a small amount of effort while adding tremendous value.?

In finishing: It’s easy to come in and implement change - seeing it through is just as important, which is why it’s important to finish what you started. That’s how you really make good on your work.?

One of the best places to invest your time is in expecting tasks that you and only you can do in your unique capabilities.

Maybe there are tasks you can accomplish faster and with more ease - but if you can focus on the things which you are uniquely skilled at and capable of handling, it demonstrates what you bring to the table and how much it’s worth.?

What Next??

Is it really this necessary to break down work so closely and analyze it?

In some ways, yes. If you don’t want to be stuck in a soul-crushing, high-burnout corporate rat race, finding work that matters and allows you to lead change will keep you motivated and happy.

Making a difference and turning things around is what leads to tangible impact - and your future employers will want to see that, not the number of tasks you ticked off on a given day.?

There will always be work to do, in some form or the other. The key is to find work that matters to you while making a difference to the people around you and the organization at large.

This is how you can find purpose and meaning in what you do.

Technology may make work less taxing - but making your work count and finding a balance is what will help you survive - and possibly, thrive.