Patrick

“Empirical evidence suggests that when people experience positive meaning in their work—or a sense of calling— performance is elevated and individual well-being is enhanced. Leaders enhance the meaningfulness of the task in at least four ways: (1) Identifying the positive impact that the work produces on the well-being of people fosters meaningfulness. The more human impact that can be observed—that is, how the work affects individuals for the better—the more meaningful the work. The more meaningful the work, the more individuals desire to share its effects with other people. (2) Associating the work with a virtue or an important personal value engenders positive meaning. Highlighting the relationship between work and sustainability, generosity, or compassion, for example, helps engender meaningfulness. Identifying a higher purpose that supersedes personal benefit is almost always a prerequisite to prosocial and contributory work activities. (3) Identifying the long-term effects of the work beyond immediate outcomes, and highlighting the ripple effect that may occur, also enhances positive meaning. Leaving a legacy that benefits people beyond the immediate circumstances represents a form of unselfishness that is associated with high levels of performance. (4) Building supportive relationships and a sense of community among coworkers also enhances positive meaning. Leaders who highlight and pursue contribution goals as opposed to self-interest goals enable important individual and organizational outcomes such as learning, trust, high-quality connections, and improved performance.”
― Kim S. Cameron, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance