Everyone aspires to have purpose or meaning in their career but how do you actually do that? What practical steps can you take today or this month to make sure you\u2019re not just toiling away at your desk but you\u2019re doing something you genuinely care about?<\/p>\n
What the Experts Say Know what \u201cmeaningful\u201d means to you Legacy<\/em> Mastery<\/em> Freedom Alignment The content of these categories will vary by person. Dillon suggests making a list of all the things you value, and then prioritizing them. This list will help guide your decisions and can be used to evaluate specific opportunities like a new assignment in your current role, a job at a different company, or a new career path.<\/p>\n Form hypotheses Run experiments Form a personal board of directors There are a few people you shouldn\u2019t include, says Koloc. \u201cFamily members can be tough,\u201d says Koloc. \u201cSpouses, for example, need to know what you\u2019re doing but they may not be best positioned to help you figure it out.\u201d And don\u2019t be afraid to dig deep into your past, Dillon says: \u201cI have people who I haven\u2019t talked with in years who call me when they\u2019re considering a job change or a career transition.\u201d Check in with this board of directors on a regular basis to update them on your thinking and ask for input.<\/p>\n Think long term When you\u2019re already deep into a career Buckle down on your finances Make the time Principles to Remember<\/strong><\/p>\n Do<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Case study #1: Turn to those who know you Still, the question was: What did she want to do instead? \u201cI started by thinking options through and vetting ideas in my mind.\u201d Did she want to go back to school? Did she want to pursue her passion for landscape architecture? Did she want to take her one-of-a-kind fashion accessory business to the next level?<\/p>\n She also got advice from a small group of people she\u00a0knew well. \u201cThere are about six people in my life that I consider my advisors. They come from all different aspects of my life. They don\u2019t know me equally well but they know important parts of me and I cherish their opinions,\u201d she explains. With their help she eliminated a lot of options, such as starting her own business. While being an entrepreneur greatly appealed to her she was afraid of ruining the pleasure she took in her hobby by turning it into a job.<\/p>\n Deirdre told her boss that she was getting ready to move on. \u201cWe had worked very well together for close to ten years and I felt like I owed him that respect,\u201d she explains. Soon after that conversation, a former executive director of the ICIC came to her\u00a0and her boss with an opportunity: she wanted to start a company that would encourage entrepreneurism and job growth in Middle Eastern countries, starting with Saudi Arabia. \u201cEven though the idea wasn\u2019t yet fully formed, I knew right away that this is what I wanted to do,\u201d Deirdre says. It fit many of the criteria she was looking for \u2014 it allowed her to travel internationally, work in emerging markets and build an organization from the ground up. She became the co-founder of the AllWorld Network<\/a> and while \u201cthere are certainly moments of angst,\u201d she is thrilled to be doing a job she loves.<\/p>\n Case study #2: Get your finances in order He also did a few informational interviews with people he respected who had made similar transitions. He was careful in how he set up these conversations. \u201cI told people that I wasn\u2019t miserable at my current job, but that I was looking around and would love their\u00a0perspective,\u201d he explains. \u201cI also mentioned that I had a\u00a0mortgage and a family so didn\u2019t want to\u00a0broadcast this.\u201d<\/p>\n To broaden his network, he became more active in his volunteer and board work and upped the pro bono law work he was doing. \u201cI put myself in contact with people who could connect me to an opportunity or who could vouch for me when an opportunity came up.\u201d<\/p>\n Tim and his wife had supported each other through several career transitions but this time, as he says, \u201cthe stakes were higher because we had kids, school tuitions, and college looming on the horizon.\u201d Given that Tim was going to almost certainly take a pay cut, he and his wife came up with a budget and the lowest salary figure he could take. To give themselves more financial flexibility, they downsized and moved from a one-family to a two-family house where rent from tenants could help pay the mortgage.<\/p>\n About a year and a half after starting the process, Tim took a job as a development officer at the Rhode Island Foundation. \u201cThe process wasn\u2019t always easy but I feel good about where I ended up,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n source: hbr.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Everyone aspires to have purpose or meaning in their career but how do you actually do that? What practical steps can you take today or this month to make sure you\u2019re not just toiling away at your desk but you\u2019re doing something you genuinely care about? What the Experts Say Unfortunately, most of us don\u2019t\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":461,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460\/revisions\/461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adriangrigoras.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Unfortunately, most of us don\u2019t know how to make the job decisions that lead to satisfaction. Nathaniel Koloc, the CEO of ReWork<\/a>, which provides recruiting services to companies that offer purposeful\u00a0work, says that\u2019s because no one really ever teaches us how: \u201cVery few parents, teachers, and mentors urge us to think about this or give us mental models to use,\u201d he says. \u201cWe tend to only get nibbles of what meaningful work is in our twenties.\u201d As a result, we often pick jobs for the wrong reasons, says Karen Dillon, coauthor of How Will You Measure Your Life<\/em><\/a>. \u201cWe look for things that we\u2019re proud to talk about at a cocktail party or look good on a resume.\u201d But rarely are those the things that translate to satisfaction. Here are principles you can follow to find a career \u2014 and a specific job \u2014\u00ad you don\u2019t just enjoy, but love.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Am I respected by my colleagues? Am I being challenged? Am I growing? Do I believe in the mission? \u201cThese are the things that are going to make the difference between being ok with your job and being truly happy,\u201d says Dillon. But \u201cmeaningful\u201d means something different for each individual. \u201cDon\u2019t just look to obvious things, like salary, title, or prestige of the company,\u201d says Dillon. Koloc identifies four categories to consider:<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/strong>This is about the concrete outcomes of your work. What do you want to achieve? Sure, you may spend a lot of your day responding to emails or attending meetings \u2014 most jobs entail at least some of that \u00ad\u2014 but what evidence do you want of your work? You might find it rewarding to advance the math skills of 80 students in one year, or build six desalination plants over the course of your career. This is often a question of how close to the frontlines you want to be. Some people want to help sick people directly while others aspire to help pass the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/strong>These are the strengths\u00a0that you want to improve.\u00a0For example, if you enjoy\u00a0connecting with people, you could\u00a0use that skill\u00a0to be a psychologist or a marketer. Similarly, if you\u2019re\u00a0a strong writer, you could use that skill to write fiction or copy for advertisements. The key is that you are using these strengths in a way that you find rewarding. \u201cBeing good at something you don\u2019t enjoy doesn\u2019t count,\u201d says Koloc. \u201cIt has to be something you love to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>This is about the salary, benefits, and flexibility you need to live the life you want. For some people, this may mean a high paycheck that allows you to take exotic vacations. For others, it could be the freedom to work when and where you choose. Here you need to know the lifestyle you want and ask whether your job is helping you fulfill that.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>This last category covers the culture and values of the place you work. This is not the same as mission, warns Koloc, but is about whether you feel like you belong. What are the beliefs and priorities of the company and the people you work with? How do people treat each other? Do they hug? Have lunch together? \u201cIt\u2019s important to enjoy spending time with your colleagues and your manager,\u201d says Dillon.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re unsure what matters most to you<\/a>, think through a given day or week at work. Ask yourself: what made me most happy? What did I find most frustrating? Then, Koloc suggests, come up with a few hypotheses about what is most meaningful to you. I want a job where I create something that people can use everyday. I want a job that allows me enough flexibility to pick up my kids from school. I want a job where I\u2019m directly interacting with people in need.<\/em> \u201cBe careful not to overcorrect for a particularly bad job experience,\u201d says Dillon. \u201cWhen you have a micromanaging boss, for example, it\u2019s easy to think that your biggest priority is to work for a manager who doesn\u2019t smother you, but if you seek out that one thing, you may end up being unhappy for slightly different reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Once you\u2019ve nailed down your hypotheses, it\u2019s time to test them. There are a variety of ways to do this. First, you can try things out within an existing job. \u201cYou might try to convince your manager to let you work remotely for a month,\u201d he says. Take on a new assignment that allows you to try out new skills. \u201cLook for opportunities to enhance your job. Sign up for a new cross-company initiative or propose taking something off your boss\u2019s plate,\u201d suggests Dillon. \u201cI\u2019ve never known many managers to say no to people offering to help out.\u201d If you can\u2019t run experiments within the constraints of your job, look outside the company. \u201cJoin industry groups, go to conferences, volunteer for a nonprofit,\u201d advises Dillon. The third way to test your hypotheses is to have conversations. Find people who are doing what you think you want to do and ask them lots of questions. Listen carefully and critically<\/a>, so that you don\u2019t just hear what you want to hear.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Don\u2019t go it alone. Work with others to kick the tires on your hypotheses and share the results of your experiments. Invite four or five people to serve as your informal board of directors. You might tell them, \u201cI\u2019m doing some exploring about what I want from work and I\u2019d love to talk with you on occasion to get your feedback on my direction.\u201d Include\u00a0any\u00a0mentors and trusted\u00a0professional peers. And if your manager is receptive\u00a0include her as well. \u201cNot all bosses may be supportive,\u201d says Dillon, \u201cbut if you have a manager who you can bounce career ideas off of, take advantage of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This work shouldn\u2019t just be in service of getting your next job. \u201cCareer design is different than a job-search strategy,\u201d says Koloc, and the question you should be asking yourself, he advises, is not \u201cWhat job do I want?\u201d but \u201cWhat life do I want?\u201d Think about where you want to be in five, ten, 20 years. Of course, you have to answer more immediate questions about what you want in your current job or your next, but do so only in the context of your longer, larger career goals.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Even mid-career professionals can and do make big changes. \u201cYour ability to turn the ship is no different but the speed at which you turn it is going to be slower,\u201d says Koloc.\u201cIf you\u2019re 35 and have two kids, it\u2019s going to take longer to explore.\u201d There\u2019s good news though, he says: \u201cYou have more clues as to what you want and enjoy.\u201d The important thing is to not feel stuck. \u201cYou may feel locked into a job, a higher salary, a higher title because you have more responsibilities, like a mortgage and kids, and sure, you may need to take fewer risks, but you don\u2019t want to settle for a job or career you\u2019re not happy with,\u201d says Dillon.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>One of the main reasons people give for staying in a job or career they don\u2019t love is money. \u201cTake steps to give yourself a financial cushion and a little psychological freedom,\u201d says Dillon. Make a budget if you don\u2019t have one. Look for ways to lower the amount of money you need each month: downsize your house, move to one car, and be more disciplined about saving. Having a financial buffer will make it more likely that when you find something meaningful, you\u2019ll be able to act on it.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cI have yet to meet anybody who wouldn\u2019t benefit from setting aside dedicated time to sit down and think about what they want from work,\u201d says Koloc. Schedule a time in your calendar to reflect on your career. Even if it\u2019s just an hour every other week, you\u2019re going to make some progress. \u201cSometimes just thinking about it will get the ball rolling, and then, often, the change becomes inevitable,\u201d says Koloc.<\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/strong>Deirdre Coyle had reached a point in her career where she knew she needed a change. She has been the SVP of communications at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City for eight years and while she believed in the mission of the nonprofit, she just couldn\u2019t picture herself in the role forever. \u201cThere was something else out there for me. I have high expectations of myself and wanted to push forward into new territory,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Tim Groves liked his job at a civil litigation law firm. But he didn\u2019t love it. \u201cI didn\u2019t get up in the morning excited to go to work,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I knew if I continued on that career path, it wasn\u2019t going to get better either.\u201d He was interested in mission-driven work so he started by talking to people in the nonprofit world and signed up for automated job listings. \u201cI volunteered and served on boards, and I had friends and relatives who worked in nonprofits so I had an inkling of what I could do with a law degree in a nonprofit setting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n