RE: How Important is it to Find "Meaning" in Your Work?
I can understand what sometimes feels like a meaningless world people’s desire to search out and have meaning in the workplace. Companies that can create that produce excellent and well-engaged employees who are willing to put in the extra effort and time to want to make things better.
Finding meaning while I don’t think is a new thing is in my mind a luxury to have in the workplace. Some people just seem to take it too far where they think every single paper clip they make, and every document they print is both games changing and going to change mankind for the better!!!
I try and find meaning in at least hobbies that have some kind of financial reward. Beyond that meaning is simply just being able to make the bills and hope to have enough over for some disposable income.
I find myself not so desiring to have this big meaning in this. Just simply not feeling like my effort and time was completely wasted. Most times I’m perfectly happy in the middle ground. I just can’t stand my time being wasted. I also don’t expect my average work to have a very meaningful impact either.
I do think far too many people focus on needing to have that “good day” to be in the right mindset. People become so destructive to everything around them when things are not going 100% to their liking. If I have a “perfect” day as some of these people need to have. I would question my own sanity, if I was dreaming, or perhaps I had died. I’ll take the world not burning down and at least get a couple of things complete for that day to be good enough.
"Wasted time" has always been an issue for me, and one of the reasons I often earned the "impatient" label in corporate job situations I had. I don't want to spend endless hours talking about what needs to be done, I want to do what needs to be done.
"Well, then you're just not a very good team player!"
The problem with many "teams" (at least in work situations) often seems to be that progress moves at the speed of the least competent member of the team.
In some ways, I would be OK with having a somewhat dull job, as long as it was consistent and reliable and didn't put me in "harms" way of the typical "Oh you're good at this! You should be IN CHARGE!" I don't freakin' want to be in charge... just give me my daily paycheck, and let me get on with a more interesting life elsewhere.
And so, I chose the path of independence... where at least I mostly enjoy what I do.
I so hate the “you’re not a team player” aspect I swear certain types of manager use that on purpose to downplay the important of an outstanding member of the team. That usually for me means letting others take credit for things they never did but I ended up doing just to get things done. They then wonder why things never gone done when you are never around. Which than leads into the trap of never being promoted out of that position because you are now “so needed” or put into a management position that you never wanted.