Is your "Cause" a Noble One?

We spend a great deal of time either at work, working remotely, traveling for work, or focused on work. We'll get to work-life "balance" another time.

Considering that most of us spend more waking hours with our coworkers than we do with our friends and family, hopefully you enjoy it (see last week's article "Is 90% Enough?").

When I work with teams, and when I consider my own career, I ask the team what their perception is of what they do. Is it a noble one? Are you a "battle unicorn" or are you just ripping-code.

I use the example of three individuals at a construction site, each doing the exact same job.

1. The first individual, when asked what they do each day, replies, "I haul rocks."
2. The second individual proudly proclaims that "I am building walls!"
3. The final individual, thoughtfully ponders their answer, looks over the worksite, beaming, and says, "I am creating a cathedral."

Which of the three individuals gets out of bed each morning, excited to have the opportunity to go, not to work, but to their "calling" - that unique intersection of activities where Inspiration meets Execution.

It is our job as leaders to ensure we are working with the team to define and understand the noble definition of the overall mission of our team. Don't assume or hope that everyone on your team sees the nobility in what we do. Also, consider, that simply telling them what the mission is, doesn't create a culture of inclusion, excitement and passion.

I often sit down with members of the team who are struggling to get motivated or stay excited, and talk about their purpose. Are you selling software or products? Are you working with clients to understand their risk profile and how to move them from current state to ideal state. Or... or you getting up every day and protecting your client, their customers, and their business from cyberattacks perpetrated by foreign nation-states.

Sounds pretty cool to me. I'm in, are you?