This post from Seth’s Blog (May 5th) caught my eye (https://seths.blog/2023/05/the-new-way-of-work/). And I followed the link in the last word on the last line of the last paragraph — and was inspired.
Among the points he makes: He polled 10,000 people in 90 countries and asked the same question: “What makes a job the best job you ever had?”
You might expect that people would say things like, “I got paid a lot.” Or, “I didn’t have to work very hard.” Or, “I didn’t have people telling me what to do.”
But those were not among the top answers. The top answers were, “The work I was doing mattered.” And, “My efforts were valued.” In other words: significance.
People often say that “today’s workers” don’t have the same work ethic that people had once upon a time. More than one of my corporate coaching clients has said that talent is hard to find, and when they do find it, they have a hard time competing for their services … there isn’t money enough in the budget. They take another job, somewhere else.
The good news is, people don’t value money above all else.
The bad news is, giving people what they do want — significance — isn’t easy. Company culture isn’t easily changed. What HAS worked in innovative companies, says Seth, is “to create the conditions for people to do what they knew they were capable of.”
Easy? No. Worth it? Yes. Especially when you consider the alternative.
Check out the blog, follow the links, watch the short video, and if something about it rings true for you, why not talk about it?
Preston Larus, CPC 