Often, we feel dissonance before we can name it. That unsettled tension we feel between our desires and the reality of our experience may show up like a burning from within or an oversized coat weighing upon our shoulders.
It is not difficult to recognize its effect within the workplace. We can feel ourselves or see others being terse or indignant about simple asks or suggestions. Perhaps it is the ask itself, or how it is offered, but more than likely its reflective a symptom of other realities that the person is facing.
Unfortunately, the aspirations and excitement in starting with an organization can fade with the realities we inevitably face. Nevertheless, as within any relationship, that does not mean that our hope for the organization, its work in the world, or the passion for our work itself needs to fade. It is possible for new flames to flicker and imaginations to be captured. When we find alignment and collectively put our values into practice toward a common trajectory, meaningful work is possible.
Jargon often follows hopeful words in the midst of dissonance and discouragement. Talks about inspiration and perspiration usher in all the dramatics. X-factors and dynamism are yearned for, but it’s not what most of us need. Mountaintop moments may be important, however, that kind of sustained adrenal rush is exhausting. What we require is stability- deep roots not emotional ascents.
We want something that is consistent and true. Presuming their basic needs are met, people will remain in unhealthy work situations just because it’s reliable. Comforts offered through compensation packages are often sufficient salves to the wounds of undignified work. Yet, we are starting to see, at a societal level, that such offerings are not sufficient.
Initially, it was dubbed the Great Resignation. Monolithically diagnosed as frustration, businesses and economies were dismayed and felt betrayed. As research better captures the complexities, we now find articles that reframe this as the Great Renegotiation. Scholars such as Susan David remind us, the larger umbrella terms for dissatisfaction often have more specific adjectives that reflect our true experience.
People yearn for something more. Pay, reasonable pay, and the benefits that go alongside have become an expectation. Along with this, is the notion that institutions no longer offer an enduring commitment to their employees and their quality of life. Between these realities, boldness is being coupled to moral roots. Employees and organizations are pursuing new tiers within Maslow’s hierarchy. People seek not just shelter, but opportunities to find belonging, esteem and even find themselves in and through their work. We long for something fulfilling that is inextricably tied to something that transcends ourselves.
If this aspiration toward meaningful work is possible, we as individuals and organizations must find a foundation beyond basic provision. We require more than platitudes. We need something substantive. Organizations and individuals are yearning for a common point from which to move together – an orientation from which they can grow as a collective we.
It’s in light of our collective longing that we must be willing to be honest, vulnerable and courageous.
Such a task may seem daunting, but various companies and organizations are doing it – and have been doing it. Case studies of Herman Miller and Max De Pree have been used in business classes for years. Dan Price the founder and CEO of Gravity Payments might be finding his way into your social feeds for advocating that fair wages are central to the foundation of dignity in the workplace. If you’re from the Seattle area, you may have been able to experience how the integration of values imbues a staff culture and leads to a transformative dining experience, something Co-Owner, Mark Canlis, is intentional about facilitating. Recently, Choose 180, a Seattle not-for-profit, has grabbed headlines for its commitment to a living wage; connecting a person’s love for good work to the capacity to care for themselves and those they love. This isn’t magical or idealistic. It is an initiative that requires intentional change.
Organizations ought to establish and embody their values in and through their work. Intentionally generic values filled with vague language invite box checking and a lack of accountability. This kind of greenwashing, doing what I say, not as I do, invites misalignment, turn-over and customer dissatisfaction. A reexamination and particularization of an organization’s values provides clarity and context about who the organization is and what it does. When earnest values are coupled with opportunities for aligned action, people are invited to invest in something meaningful.
At a personal level, you may feel this angst and frustration. Such duplicity strikes at the core. It’s not only disingenuous, it’s dishonest. Deceit is never a formula for initiating or maintaining enduring relationships. Yet, I believe that we also have the capacity to leverage our circle of influence and example a new way of being within our organizations. It’s in light of this, that I believe we as individuals ought to be clear on our own values as well. Get specific. Know what your values are and how they inform who you are and the kind of work you want to be doing and how you want to go about that work.
While caution should always be brought to these conversations, and open eyes to the effects of our (in)action, meaningful work will require initiative and engagement. You may need to example the kind of values-based intentionality before people recognize its importance.
Ultimately, organizations and teams ought contextualize and particularize their values, as well as invite their employees to do the same. While complicated, our unique perspectives and valuations have the capacity to enhance the organizations and teams we work with. Furthermore, it increases the individual’s’ connection to the work and passion for it. It’s in light of this that I believe an organization ought to know its identity well and seek to embody it. Paralleling this is that organization’s willingness to establish the safety and practice the vulnerability to allow people to share their values and with that, opportunities for alignment. For both, individuals and organizations, I suggest developing core values that name the value, define it, and describe its importance.
By intentionally engaging in conversations about values with ourselves, our work and that of our organizations, we invite ourselves and others to the kind of work that allows us to participate in something that transcends individual efforts. We participate in something meaningful.
So, let’s start pursuing meaningful work by taking our values off the wall and putting them into practice. Let’s make company culture not about assimilating new hires, but by inviting them to help transform your working community for the better. Work based in values allow us to pursue a trajectory that is consistent, not only with our organizations, but also within ourselves. It allows us to show up as ourselves with the desire of being our best selves.
Thanks to:
Greg Resolasky for sharing his insights on Planet Money
Susan David for her timely LinkedIn posts on emotions
Dan Price for leveraging his platform well
Mark Canlis and Faith&Co. for their collaboration and truth-telling
Sean Goode and the board at Choose 180 for serving as a courageous example
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