How to Do the Work That Creates Magic

Last week in the CultureBrained Community , we had a real treat. Seth Godin popped in for a Fireside Chat, diving into his new book, “The Song of Significance - A New Manifesto for Teams. ” We had a deep discussion about shaping a work environment where people do their best work.

In this week’s newsletter, I want to peel the curtain on what we discussed and share some thoughts on how to find the magic that happens when we are lucky enough to co-create with people who care.

• Part I: The True Essence of Engagement at Work
• Part II: Doing Work of Significance
• Part III: Creating the Conditions for Significance to Thrive

Part I: The True Essence of Engagement at Work

During our Fireside Chat, Seth shared a study he conducted, reaching out to 10,000 people across 90 countries, asking about their best job ever. The insights were quite revealing and reminded me of Dan Pink’s book, “Drive”.

In “Drive,” Dan Pink debunked the old-school notion that motivation is all about financial incentives or the fear of punishment. He drew his conclusions by analysing research spanning decades. The outcome was the now famous three key intrinsic motivators. They align perfectly with Seth’s findings.

1. Autonomy: Having control over one's work and the way it’s done plays a crucial role when it comes to effectiveness and job satisfaction. This aligns with Seth’s survey, where individuals spoke of their ability to do their job independently.
2. Mastery: Pink’s concept of mastery – the drive to improve and excel in a skill – is echoed in the responses from Seth’s study, where people talked about surprising themselves with what they could accomplish. It seems that the best jobs provide opportunities for growth, challenge, and the pursuit of excellence.
3. Purpose: The third motivator, purpose, was also a prominent theme in Seth’s findings. Participants described their most fulfilling jobs as ones where they felt they were making a difference, contributing to something larger than themselves.

Seth distills these profound human desires into a single, potent concept: SIGNIFICANCE.

At work, we're not just seeking a paycheck; we're in pursuit of significance. This means valuing autonomy and agency, striving for mastery, and embracing dignity. It's about finding purpose and meaning in what we do.

Yet, despite these aspirations, many of us are still tethered to the outdated industrial model of work. We're encumbered by old mental models that insist we need someone else's direction, a checklist, a permission slip to guide our path.

This leads us to a question, one that we delved into with Seth and the CultureBrained hive mind:

How can we, as leaders and HR professionals, cultivate a work environment that not only recognizes but actively fosters significance? How do we build spaces where individuals are empowered to seek and find their own significance, breaking free from the constraints of traditional workplace models?

Part II: Doing Work of Significance

According to Seth, there are four kinds of work. Only one brings a true sense of significance: work with high-stakes and high-trust.

Work of significance is what we do when we create something genuinely impactful and meaningful. It’s the kind of work where the risks are considerable, but so is the trust in the individuals and teams involved.

Here’s what Seth shared when I asked him about it in our Fireside Chat.

Part III: Creating the Conditions for Significance to Thrive

In his book, Seth shares 15 commitments that teams should make to create an environment of significance. I picked three that resonated most with me to spark your interest and encourage you to read his book.

1. You are here to make change happen

Your team exists for a reason. It pays off to be crystal clear about what this reason is and to keep it front of mind for everyone. In most cases, for most teams, their job, as Seth puts it is “to create a change, to make things better, to show up with something that was worth the effort it took to create.” If your team lacks clarity as to what change you are on a mission to create, you can download my free guide HERE .

2. Criticize the work, not the worker

People will mess up but it doesn’t mean that they are messed up. Great teams know how to separate the work from the worker and focus on improving deliverables, not fixing people. It’s impossible to do significant work without feedback. Feedback from colleagues and the market is what makes the change you are after possible. Embrace it. That’s the only way you can et better as individuals and as a team.

3. Mutual respect is expected

In a team where significance thrives, mutual respect is a given. It's not reserved for the boss, the star performer, or the biggest client. Every team member, regardless of their role or status, deserves respect and is trusted from the outset. This principle is fundamental; when it's overlooked or disregarded, it undermines the very essence of a significant and collaborative work environment.

And, to wrap this all up, here are some of the takeaways from our community members:

Want more?

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