Purpose: what does it mean at work?
Unless you are in a very small percentage of the population and very lucky, we largely go to work for the money. But judging by the clients I speak to, people increasingly want more from their careers these days. And why not.
If my coaching conversations generated a word cloud – ‘purpose’ would be by far the biggest one on the screen.
We know what the word means but sometimes I think people are looking so hard for it, they can lose sight of what it might look like for them at work. We can get distracted by the grander meaning of purpose in a job or organization; saving the environment, curing something, combating poverty – the list could go on. These are all very worthy causes and would certainly bring anyone a sense of purpose, but there are countless of roles, sectors and companies that could deliver purpose for you.
There’s no magic here, but the key is understanding what is meaningful to you. Ask yourself the question and try to notice what gives you that little sense of fulfilment at work. Don’t look too hard here, look at the fundamentals. This could offer some job or career options that might surprise you.
Here a few examples (and believe me there are many more):
You like seeing where you make a difference to people. This one is super wide, there are so many jobs out there where you can see this. Whether it's being front of house or the client facing lead for something, working on policy in a public body that sets or policies standards or helping people get jobs. Of course, that’s just a random selection but you get the idea, there’s lots here.
You like working on cool things. You may struggle being a project manager for a new type of washing machine but if you took that role to a different company, for example, developing a new pair of trainers or a new technology, it could be much more your thing. Suddenly the job is more meaningful.
You like delivering success/hitting targets. You like seeing the company doing well; you like hitting those quarterly targets and most importantly being rewarded for it. If you like your achievements to be measured in a clear and transparent way that may be the purpose, you need. There are quite a few options here, but you’re looking at measurable roles; sales, delivering projects, leading pitches etc.
When you think you want more purpose in your work, it may not be as hard to find as you think.