Harvard Business Review’s Post

Finding meaning....(read more below) . . . . . "At a low level, I’m typing words into a keyboard. At a high level, I’m creating better leaders. When leaders walk employees up this ladder, they can help them find meaning in even the most mundane tasks." Leadership is a game of connections. Connecting your team members to their strengths, connecting their strengths to individual tasks, and then connecting those tasks to meaning in the overall goal. See them. Show them. Position them. Empower them. Celebrate them. Propel forward....together.

This Harvard Business Review article underlined a pivotal leadership insight: true motivation stems from helping employees find their inner purpose, beyond just the organizational mission. This philosophy shapes my approach, focusing on the 'why' behind our work through action identification theory and purposeful check-ins. Adopting this strategy, especially in DEI, employee engagement, and strategic HR initiatives, has significantly boosted our team's alignment and motivation. We've created an environment where everyone's contributions are valued and aligned with impactful goals. Embracing purpose-driven leadership, we're not just achieving our objectives; we're creating a culture of engagement and excellence. #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #PurposeDriven

Regular check-ins that use key areas of inquiry are a way to help employees explore, discover or rediscover their professional purpose. Check out this Harvard Business Review article for thoughtful questions that can be asked to help your team members find purpose, clarify their specific value-add and ultimately, share what brings them joy at work. Work is hard but it should be meaningful too and people leaders can help foster a culture that reinforces that by choosing one or two questions to ask each 1v1… here are a few of my favorites from HBR’s suggestions :) 1. What are you great at? What do you take on because you believe you’re the best person to do it? 2. What do you enjoy doing? What do you see on your calendar that energizes you? 3. When do you feel most useful? Which work outcomes make you most proud? 4. What creates a sense of forward momentum? What are you learning (or want to be learning…) today that you’ll use in the future?

What workers really need, to feel engaged in and satisfied by their jobs, is an inner sense of purpose. Workers in an Organization need a supportive and inclusive environment where they feel valued and recognized for their contributions. This includes clear communication, opportunities for professional growth, fair compensation, and a healthy work life balance. They thrive in cultures that foster collaboration, innovation and most importantly, mutual respect, where their voices are heard and their wellbeing is prioritized. By addressing these we can unleash the power of productivity, leading to overall success.

Employees must find an inner sense of purpose in what they do day in and day out. Understanding that can be key to motivating members of your team.

Leaders can’t rely on organizational mission statements to inspire employees. They have to help their people find inner purpose. One way is through action identification theory, exploring levels of meaning attached to any task. Another is through regular check-ins that help employees think about what they’re good at, what they enjoy, what makes them feel useful, what propels them forward, and how they relate to others.

In my view; an interesting piece on creating a narrative of purpose out a collection of tasks.

Such a good quick read. Leaders who take the time to ask thoughtful questions, truly listen, and adjust their approach to individuals have the tools to better approach business challenges head on.

For leaders and each of us… Do read the below whether you lead a team or have to talk about what you need and want to do in your career. True the leaders have to be ready to ask these question yet if as an employee I am not sure what to answer it will feel ackward… When coaching individuals about to have their career discussion or thinking about the job that’s right for them, the questions in the article are a great starting point to understand what drives you and what you really want to do ( or not anymore as the case may be) so 👉make a list using the 5 questions below 👉think about what you like in your current job 👉think about what you don't like 👉think about what brings you joy 👉and above all what do you need to feel supported and to thrive now you are more prepared to have that discussion or think about your next step #youvegotthis #coachingtips

What are you learning that you’ll use in the future? What do you envision for yourself next? How’s your work today getting you closer to what you want for yourself? #coaching #intheflowofwork