That’s The Spirit: Meaning And Purpose At Work

Since the late 1990s, publications such as Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune and others have reported a growing desire among employees for more meaning and purpose at work: for a spiritual dimension to organisational life. ‘Spirituality’ may be viewed as the relationship to the ‘existential’ - as well as the intimate relationship with the inner self and of higher values and morality. So how is this yearning affecting the growth of businesses today?

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‘Workplace spirituality’ can be defined as a framework of organisational values evidenced in the culture that promotes employees’ experience of transcendence through the work process - facilitating their sense of being connected to other in a way that provides feelings of completeness and joy. It is the recognition that employees have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of community. In this sense, spirituality at work has three components: the inner life, meaningful work, and community.

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A community is a place where people can experience personal growth, are valued for being themselves as individuals, and have a sense of working together towards a common goal or vision in some way. Meaning at work captures a sense of what is important and is energising and motivating. In this sense, many argue that it taps into a dimension of the human experience that is not physical or intellectual, but spiritual. The inner life refers to components that capture an individual’s hopefulness, awareness of personal values, and concern for spirituality. It is the shared meaning and values of the organisation as a whole that becomes its differentiating factor.

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Metamodern Meaning Making

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At some point in the 20th century, businesses became increasingly analytical, strategic, and reasoned in their approaches. While narrowing the focus demonstrated success in profitability and boosting the bottom line, the trade-off has been a more fragmented system that can no longer sustain itself.

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The Friedman model of Capitalism was based on a reductionist selfish-gene lens whereby only the fittest would survive. However a more holistic lens encompasses the relationship of the individual components to both each-other and the wider ecosystem at large. This is better captured under the Elkington paradigm which advocates for a focus on people and planet alongside profit and progress.

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In a post-COVID world, businesses and therefore economies are again on the verge of breakthrough transformations. There’s no denying that the pandemic has given many of us an opportunity to reconsider workplace practices, values and meaning. Given the widespread acknowledgement that health is the real wealth, the focus is now moving away from traditional workplace incentives such as higher salaries and better bonuses in exchange for longer hours; and more towards greater work-life balance and holistic benefits.

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The way we work is clearly changing, but so are the reasons why. As the environment shifts into a state more conducive to harnessing these innate sentiments, people’s natural internal motivators are being leveraged to drive more meaning and purpose, and therefore fulfilment, at work. Nowhere is that more clear cut than amongst the ranks of the B Corporation network - contractually committed to bettering both people and planet alongside profit.

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Health Is Wealth

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Development of each individual’s full potential is one goal of emphasising spirituality in the workplace. So how can employers ensure they don’t get left behind, while catering to the benefits of a newly motivated workforce? Holistic approaches to fostering workplace wellness are already well under way - from the autonomy and balance that a hybrid, remote approach to the office provides, to the addition of greater access to benefits and perks.

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According to some studies, 69% of employees say having a wider array of benefits would increase loyalty to their employer, and 74% of employees are concerned about at least one aspect of their well-being as a result of the virus. As everyone is different, the best solutions will be personalised.

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Therefore beyond financial gain, more and more employees are appreciating and requesting the benefits of flexible hours, remote work, wellbeing platforms, social events, family time and the freedom to pursue their passions. For employers, fuelling the passion behind purpose creates a win-win. Employees who report that their job has a “special meaning: this is not 'just a job'“ are 4 times more likely to give extra, 11 times more committed to staying with their organisations and are 14 times more likely to look forward to coming to work than employees at peer companies.

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The nature and speed of the change has often been covered, including the elements that are practical, operational, strategic, and managerial. However one of the greatest and often overlooked aspects will be that of culture shift - especially given that a large majority of the workforce (nation) now expect hybrid work formats, with companies leveraging the technology and partnerships to accommodate.

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Progressive businesses are at the forefront of the change, creating the very environments conducive for such alchemy to take place. Harnessing the hybrid workplace is key to developing the hybrid mindset shift, leading us all into a more holistic, integrated and sustainable paradigm that values all of people, planet and progress.

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While traditional approaches to change and management take an ‘outside in’ approach, there is equal benefit to be had in exploring an ‘inside out’ perspective. This aligns individual development with organisational growth. It requires self-awareness, knowing what you believe in and value, being present and responsive to the moment, compassionate, vision and values-led, celebrating diversity, having the strength to stand in your own convictions, humility, curiosity and a sense of vocation.

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There have undoubtedly been many crises, disruptions and drawbacks caused by the pandemic, but perhaps one of the most admirable characteristics of humanity has been its ability to demonstrate adaptability, cohesion, tolerance and innovation in the face of adversity, all while maintaining their distinctly mortal features of good faith, humour and hope.

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With an increasing number of SMEs taking the lead when it comes to making health central to the workplace revolution, the re-opening of the office is cause for celebration. From finding more meaning and purpose through work, to fostering community and adjusting workspace practices, there’s never been a better time to join such a progressive space.

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