Plus

It comes down to what piece is in and out of your control;
thinking about why you’re doing what you’re doing is in
your control…
Annie and her colleagues worked
with a large chemical manufacturing
organization that did a great job
of promoting safety as a top value.
“But in our assessment, we noticed
that people didn’t feel emotionally
safe.” A weekly meeting where safety
incidents were reviewed held a lot
of shaming and negativity. A leader
realized they never highlighted the
99% of the time things went well.
“So they started beginning these
meetings with an emphasis on appreciation
and acknowledgment for
exemplary behavior and processes.
This created an emotionally safer
context; people felt valued. It’s a
testament to how simple yet how
profound these changes can be.”
START A CONVERSATION
Cultivate meaning and purpose by
talking about it, notes Annie: “Ask
employees how they relate to the
mission and values. Are there opportunities
to specifically ask leadership
about aligning meaning and purpose
with roles, and to really understand
what employees’ relationships are to
the mission statement? What’s the
word on the street — how are we
living our values? Are there what we
call energy leakages (where everyday
practices don’t align with mission
and values)?”
A top value of The Energy Project is:
It’s not about the hours you work,
it’s about the value you add while
you’re working. But 2 years ago,
the team realized daily practice was
out of sync with this value. “We did
an internal audit; we try to practice
what we preach, and like anyone
else, we have gaps,” she explains.
“So we reconciled this. Now we have
open business hours, but employees
have a huge amount of freedom and
flexibility as to when they work.”
REMEMBER CONTEXT
MATTERS
Perrin and colleagues don’t encounter
much resistance to fostering
meaning and purpose as a part of
well-being. “Clients sometimes express
anxiety regarding the topic of
spiritual energy. But there’s a hunger
for it — people almost feel a sense
of relief that they can talk about it at
work. We frame it as a source of energy,
and focus on the ways to manage
this dimension more efficiently.”
KNOW THIS: DREAM JOB
NOT REQUIRED
Finding meaning and purpose at
work sounds well and good if you
love your job and have a supportive
employer. What about workers
in less-than-ideal roles and circumstances?
“That’s harder, but
there are still ways to do it,” Annie
confirms. “Years ago, I wasn’t in my
dream job. So I energized myself
by thinking ‘I am really taking good
care of myself and am grateful for
this job so that I can buy groceries
and provide for my children.’ It
comes down to what piece is in and
out of your control; thinking about
why you’re doing what you’re doing
is in your control… If my job doesn’t
align with my values, meaning, purpose,
what would?”
WALK THE TALK
At The Energy Project, team members
hold each other accountable,
Annie adds. “We live the principles
that we teach. Our mission is what
drives our business… and us, individually.
People who work here
have a deep sense of purpose in
helping people lead better lives, plus
a strong connection with organizational
mission and values.”
COMMUNITY
MEETINGS —
A COMPANYWIDE
WELL-BEING RITUAL
One way The Energy Project
team fosters a workplace
culture of well-being is
community meetings. “The
idea is to come together as
colleagues, ask each other how
we’re feeling, and recognize
that feelings change. Research
shows that being asked ‘how do
you feel?’ and responding with
emotional words like happy,
anxious, frustrated, concerned,
for example — can change
our brains and make us more
receptive to learning.”
The Energy Project holds a
companywide community
meeting every Monday, and
smaller groups before each
meeting. The format is based on
the Sanctuary Institute model
(http://thesanctuaryinstitute.
org). “There’s no explaining
or processing. Feelings are
much less likely to be acted
out or interfere when they’re
named and acknowledged. It’s
an implicit commitment we’re
making: ‘I’m responsible for
management of this feeling.’
When something startling —
like deep despair — is named,
team members ask, ‘Do you
want one of us to check in with
you today?’” Annie points out
that many people do initially
feel vulnerable. “But when we
don’t share feelings, we walk
around trying not to feel sad,
angry, or anxious, and these
emotions get in the way more.
We do community meetings at
every learning event; clients
get to experience it, learn the
theory behind it… and we have
a lot of converts!”
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