Finding Purpose at Work

Let me begin with the disclaimer that the following point of view doesn’t necessarily reflect the view of my employer, but what better place for me to share some personal thoughts than a personal blog post!

Our group purpose was defining our purpose! 

I'll reference another "Coffee with Champions" discussion group that I attended back in April. The subject was “Finding Purpose at Work”. What stood out most to me was how differently the attendees defined their purpose. The most memorable comments came from a woman named Mallory who said her purpose at work and in life was the same: to get to Heaven. That meant helping herself, her husband, and her children get there. For Mallory, the connection between her work purpose and life purpose is found in the values of the construction company that she and her husband built. Because they established those values themselves, she knew they aligned with what she believes. She also made an interesting point: she may or may not be able to fulfill that same purpose working for another company, because she doesn’t know whether another company’s values would align with hers.

Mallory’s comments that day reminded me of the company I work for and one of our five values: “We Believe Our Work Serves a Higher Purpose.” At first, I thought that value was exactly what Mallory had described as her purpose. However, as I drove home from the meeting, I thought about how our company value guides me in my work as a Human Resources Manager and how I personally define purpose. I concluded that purpose, for me, means the work I do matters beyond the individual task. My work creates value for a higher purpose - to be an advocate for our employees. In that sense, it’s my purpose to help my coworkers live their best lives.

The two different views of Mallory and mine aren’t necessarily contradictory. In fact, I think they demonstrate why purpose is so personal. Purpose at work is shaped by our individual beliefs and by the values we choose to align ourselves with. What gives one person meaning may be different from what gives another person meaning. For both Mallory and me, purpose starts with our personal beliefs and extends into the choices we make at work. We believe the people and companies we surround ourselves with should support the things that matter most to us. That’s also why company values are important. Values are more than words on a website. They tell us what a company believes is important. When we interpret and live out our values with our purpose in mind, we create an environment of growth and success for all.

-Craig