How can we get purpose from our work?
We may think that meaning and purpose in our work and life are a luxury rather than an essential part of our tool kit; however, knowing our "why" can be our superpower if we aspire to high performance. This blog explores why we should care about purpose by pointing to the evidence and ideas about cultivating it—a 5-minute read.
I’ve researched the amazing women in my network to distil their collective wisdom into five strategies for success: purpose, authenticity, self-care, quality relationships and the long view. Over the coming months, I will write about each one through my Strategies for Success blog series. This time, I’ll explore purpose.
"The purpose for your doing something has to be of greater importance than the barriers you face. Getting clear about your "why" is crucial to help you persevere."
Strategies for Success
For my research, the women I spoke to reflected how crucial it is to know why your work matters to you.
What exactly is purpose?
Some of us have a singular purpose, such as knowing we want to advocate for those without a voice or provide education to deprived communities. Many more of us have a series of callings, personally meaningful work such as successfully delivering a project with a great team or volunteering in our community. You'll notice that none of these examples is about money, status or power.
What I mean by purpose is what motivates us at an intrinsic level. Studying a subject that we find fascinating is driven by intrinsic motivation, and the reward is the pleasure of it. Seeking money and status are examples of behaviour driven by extrinsic motivation, and research shows extrinsic motivation is likely to decrease over time.[1]
Perhaps annoyingly, no one can tell us what our purpose is because it – or our “why” is unique to each of us, so we are the only one that knows the answer for us at any given moment. To complicate things further, what gives us purpose is not fixed and may evolve or change entirely throughout our lifetime.
Why should we care about purpose?
Research around individual purpose supporting excellent life outcomes is compelling.[2] Living with meaning and purpose increases resilience, happiness, physical health and longevity.[3] Purpose is excellent for organisations, improving employee engagement, retention, and productivity. Indeed, McKinsey’s research discovered a positive correlation between purposeful employees and their company's margin.[4] You probably know from your experience that you feel energised, inspired, and capable of great work when you care about something you are doing beyond the extrinsic rewards. If we want to reach our potential, understanding what brings us meaning and a sense of purpose will improve our chances.
How can we cultivate purpose?
It can be confusing to know where to start searching for meaning and purpose in our lives. Noticing if our source of motivation is extrinsic or intrinsic can be insightful. I’ve found slowing down, introducing a playful sense of curiosity, along with self-compassion and kindness, the most helpful combination to explore what is meaningful. Start small, noticing what gives you energy and joy in the work you already do. It might be working on leading-edge technology, thought leadership in your specialist area, or mentoring and developing others.
It has taken me years to uncover what gives me meaning and purpose, but now I know that empowering women in the workplace is what I feel called to do and gives me a powerful sense of meaning in my work. I use the word uncover deliberately – often, we know deep down what truly gives us meaning but are distracted by a frenetic career and life demands. I’ve re-connected with my meaning and purpose by slowing down (a lifelong project for me!), increasing my self-awareness through mindfulness, and working with skilful coaches such as @Lorna Clarke and @Clare Norman; it is not an easy path to tread alone.
We can also use practical tools such as VIA Character Strengths to identify and leverage our strengths – our unique combination of personal qualities.[5] The VIA profile can help clarify our Signature Strengths, strengths that we experience as essential, energising, and effortless; these are often powerful clues to explore our purpose.[6] Research shows that understanding and applying our strengths can help build meaning and purpose, and I have witnessed this first-hand with my clients in my coaching practice. When I see a client becoming energised and passionate about a topic, it can be a clue that intrinsic motivation and meaning are in the mix.
Our purpose can feel elusive at times, but the irony is that it is inside us all the time. Suppose we connect to it by slowing down, embracing our strengths, and allowing ourselves to enjoy the discovery process. In that case, purpose can be our superpower – giving us the determination, perseverance and optimism to overcome obstacles and achieve great things. What is yours?
Learn more about my research and approach to coaching here.
[1] Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985).
[2] Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis: Randy Cohen, MD, MS, Chirag Bavishi, MD, MPH, and Alan Rozanski, MD (2016).
[3] Positive Psychology in a Pandemic: Buffering, Bolstering, and Building Mental Health: Lea Waters, Sara B. Algoe, Jane Dutton, Robert Emmons, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Emily Heaphy, Judith T. Moskowitz, Kristin Neff, Ryan Niemiec, Cynthia Pury & Michael Steger (2021).
[4] Igniting individual purpose in times of crisis: McKinsey Quarterly (2020).