Issue #4: The Utility of Work

Section I today will consist of just one big topic on Work & Life.

Section II - Questions on Employee Engagement

Section III - Spotlights on Accountability and Authenticity

Section I

Tag: Work-life, Personal development, Engagement, Growth

The Utility of Work

A while ago, I wrote this piece about the Utility of Work and the Utility of Life.

It was interesting to observe that many of those advocating how work and life should integrate/ be harmonious, be one and the same,

Are also people who exude a positivity and adoration for the work that they do.

To them, work is meaningful in that it enables them to achieve a purposeful life.

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That said, I still believe there is a need to separately understand the utility of work and utility of life, simply because of the Seasons of Life.

If I told you your Work would change with the Seasons, would you believe me?

I’m sure you will.

The tenure of the average employee in Singapore at a single firm is 2-3 years.

Retrenchment and separation trends are expected to see even shorter job-cycles in the future workforce.

Even as a self-employed, can you say for sure that you are going to always love what you are doing today?

What if I told you your Life would change with the seasons as well?

Your “Why”, the grand purpose in life, motivations etc; they WILL change over time.

/ When I was a fresh graduate - earning power was my key to see the world. My goals were to climb as high as I could in the corporate ladder to earn more. The money I earned went into adventure -taking the roads less travelled, capturing those moments in magazine-front-cover-worthy images that I still look back fondly to date.

/ Marriage was the next season in life. Many people referred to it as “Adulting”. Having the responsibility towards a joint entity, and not just your own. I learnt to be more aware of other people’s needs and wants, how to negotiate and influence. I also had to take on more responsibility in financial planning and home ownership and debt servicing.

/ Having children was the one that hit me the most. Responsibility took on a wider definition. Kids do not "work" the way adults do. Each one of them has their unique worldviews that change from time to time. When you put them together, that's when either magic or disaster can happen. It tested my patience and resilience, and from it I emerged with a new sense of purpose and drive.

Without a doubt, the Seasons in Life will continue to change.

As such, without understanding the Utility of Work separate from the Utility of Life, it will be an impossible task to understand the relationship between work and life.

The biggest challenge will come in those seasonal changes,

The discomforts due to misalignments,

The sense of loss when what was once meaningful is no longer.

Which is why I implore, even for those of you today who believe that Work and Life are one and the same simply because they are in-sync this season, to be aware of each entity's utility.

This knowledge will be critical to help you navigate the season changes as they happen, allowing you to be resilient, and equipped to pivot in those moments.

What is Work?

If your work and life is one and the same, then why work?

To illustrate: If your work is meaningful because you get to advocate for disadvantageous groups of people, or that you get to help others find their footing

Then my hypothetical question is - would it be any different if you were doing it for free?

In fact, if you do not commit yourself to any structure or objective, you can find freedom in what you want to do, whenever you feel like it, wherever you feel like it.

What then is Work as a utility of its own?

To find that answer, I looked to an unlikely group of people.

"Disengaged" Employees

In my roles as an employee engagement advocate over the years, I have spoken to many disengaged employees.

When I ask them: What is “Work” to you?

The common answers across most of them are:

• Money
• Power
• Influence

With money, power and influence, they believe they will have the ability to lead the life they desire.

And they are likely disengaged because they feel like the Work they do doesn’t necessarily give them a path towards more money, power or influence than what they already need.

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Consider this:

An educator in a school could feel like work is meaningful because he is able to help guide his students into meaningful careers and journeys of their own. The wider mission to shape youths who will be the future leaders of tomorrow fuels his life.

But, what if he didn’t work as an educator? Could he still achieve his life’s goal?

I’m guessing: Yes.

He could volunteer to be a mentor to students, talk to them in neighborhood centers, basketball courts, shopping malls, wherever he may encounter them, and share the lessons he wishes to share.

Of course, the challenge would be - Can he influence them?

Without a power, a title, experiences to stand behind,

Will they listen to him?

The bigger question: Who pays the bills?

There is no shame in recognizing that the Utility of Work is sustenance. It’s a vehicle, a platform that gives you the ability to do what you do.

When you can recognize that, then you can appreciate the relationship Work can have with Life - how Work enables Life, and vice versa.

So, what are "Disengaged" Employees missing?

For many of them?

Nothing.

The definition of disengagement by management often revolves around the idea that if an employee does not feel excitement in taking on new projects, or contributing their ideas in a room, or being ambitious about career progression and plans, then they must be disengaged.

That is narrow thinking.

There are employees who are happy to simply stay in their lane, to do the work they are being paid to do, and no more.

In fact,

If you spent time speaking to seemingly "disengaged" employees, many of them actually have a vibrant life outside of work.

They would tell you about their colorful plans for the weekends, the self-development courses they are taking on the side, the children and family that form their world.

They have simply come to a realization that the money, power and influence at the current grade of work they do, is sufficient to sustain, Life.

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Of this group of disengaged employees though, there is a seemingly smaller, yet increasingly vocal group -

Burnt-out Employees

Or at least employees headed in that trajectory.

For them, work feels like an endless pursuit.

They plough through it in the hope of achieving...... what again?

Work piles, stress piles, and along with it, self-doubt and self-depreciation.

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For this group of people, my advice is - STOP!

And breathe.

Your life cannot simply revolve around work, when work feels like an impossible task to achieve.

This is what we call in Microsoft Excel terms - “Circular Referencing Error”.

You assume the solution for Life can be found in Work (or less of it), while the solution of Work is found in Life (and what you hope to achieve) . Because you always assume the solution lies with the other, then the solution is no where to be found.

Break the Cycle

Start with Life.

What is the ideal Life you want today?

If I gave you an additional 1 hour today, what would you do to fuel that meaning of life?

“But I don’t have 1 hour!”

Try visualizing it anyway.

::::::

In March of 2023, I told myself I wanted to work out to keep myself in shape and healthy. I had been procrastinating simply because I couldn’t find “time”.

Work took up 9-10 hours a day, and every minute before and after I gave to my family (that’s what happens when you have 2 young kids).

But I knew I wanted to work out.

And I had to (my latest health screening had big red warning signs all over)

.

So I bit the bullet and signed up with the gym at the ground floor of my building, and almost every weekday since (less holidays) I have been turning up.

12:15PM - 1:30PM (inclusive of a 10 minute shower)

Didn’t I have meetings that clashed with those timings?

Yes I did.

But over time, I started to explain to my stakeholders.

I protected the time.

And they protected it together with me.

Today, most of my colleagues and stakeholders know not to set up meetings before 1:30PM with me.

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So before you start telling yourself “I don’t have time”.

Think about my story.

Then ask yourself:

What if you did?

What if you asked?

And what if they gave?

When you start thinking about Life, you start to imagine the possibilities of a world different. A world driven by purpose, fueled by growth and motivation.

That’s where the relationship between Work and Life comes into play.

Utilize Work as a vehicle, platform, enabler.

And it will stop becoming an endless pursuit.

Utilize Work, to do Life.

Section II

Questions on

A

Tags: Employee engagement, People managers

If your Disengaged Employee is satisfied with the state of work because he/she has an exciting life outside of work, will you still try to engage them?

Is there any value to do so?

And if so, how would you do it?

B

Tags: Employee engagement

Is employee engagement easier with smaller entities (with limited resources) or at larger companies (with greater resources)?

Section III

Thought Leadership Spotlights

A

Tags: Accountability, Leadership

Dr Timothy Low ,PBM,Author,CEO,Board Director speaks my mind about Accountability in Leadership

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

B

Tags: Flaws, Blindspots, Authenticity

Everything has it flaws, but not every boss admits it.

Sim Ling KU calls those bosses out as straight as she can be

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Cheers!