Your purpose in life is to find your gift, to find meaning you must give it away.
In this article, we guide you in co-creating joy at work by understanding how joy is connected to your contribution to your purpose and to organizational purpose.
Most of us dedicate our professional careers to growing in our chosen field; if you love your profession (not necessarily your job), then you could say you’ve found your purpose.
When we contribute to an organization, we are giving our hard-earned knowledge:
If organization’s don’t see this as a gift, work is not joyful, if what you contribute is valued, work becomes more joyful, get it right, it feels like a calling!
Organizations are social groups with traditions, traditions are integral to being human and belonging.
Traditions in cultures are important, tradition builds connections and bonds. Participating in traditions creates belonging in a social group, and as we are social creatures, we are motivated to participate.
Traditions sometimes involve sharing food, meals, dancing, lighting candles, all are in fact about sharing experiences: participation means 1 of us. Our brain rewards the “1 of us” feeling, it creates belonging.
This is why we feel good and want to repeat the experience.
Many traditions involve the giving and receiving of gifts. Giving and receiving gifts is sociable, the right gift increases belonging, the wrong gift leaves us feeling less joyful.
What gifts have meaning?
Gifts should have meaning, not just in the context of tradition.
So, socks and underwear at Christmas, necessary but maybe we don’t connect emotionally (maybe). Branded pens and stationery at work, necessary but not necessarily emotionally motivational. Maybe the giver has a stronger emotional connection, and maybe they can tell the value you see in the gift differs from theirs?
So, think about this: When have you received a gift and thought “it is nice, but it doesn’t really suit who I am or what I do”; how do you feel about the person giving the gift? Do they know you? What part of themselves went into the gift, what thought did they put in, how does it reflect their personality?
Also, giving the same gifts to people to treat individuals similarly, as equals, is admirable for the intention of avoiding differences; but in actual fact, everyone needs to be treated as an individual.
So, when you have chosen a gift, put thought and effort into it and it goes down well, you share in the joy. If your investment in time and trouble in gift selection doesn’t go down well, you share in that experience too.
Focus on the individual, their needs, hopes, personality. Personal gifts have meaning.
Key take away: Gifts are a shared experience, our feelings sync: Choose gifts that bring you closer.
Now think about receiving a gift that fits who you are, something that you value, something that shows the giver knows you, your needs. Not only does this create joy in you, but as it is a shared experience, the giver feels good too.
Now think about how much you invested in your profession, and what it means to you to give what you know away. Think about your feelings towards those that welcome what you say and do, and those that are a barrier. Who appreciates your gift, who doesn’t, and what you give in return.
Our Knowledge and Experience are a big part of who we are: Sharing these, is sharing ourselves.
The biggest gift we can give is ourselves. The value we place on what we have learned, the experience we have gained to do our job, is priceless. It represents years of investment in our personal growth and development. Our profession and the way we choose to apply it is our purpose. When we contribute ourselves, we contribute a priceless gift that has been nurtured, grown, treasured.
When we give our gift away, we desire fair, reciprocal, acknowledgement for the intrinsic value we place on it.
Your purpose in life is to find your gift, to gain meaning you must give it away.
Countless psychological, physiological, neurological, behavioral, and other scientific approaches have proven time and again, money is necessary, but purpose and meaning are motivational.
Many organizations try reward schemes, many turn into punishment instead. Monetary gifts seldom match the intrinsic value we place on our ideas and knowledge, if we believe our gift is worth more than we receive, and money is the incentive, the result is demotivation. If we feel our idea is worth more someone else’s, they get the bonus not us, motivation sinks. Social recognition gives meaning more than money as it goes to the very heart of belonging to the tribe which is how your brain is wired.
If your gift is not well received, your brain tells you not to repeat a bad experience. We give less of ourselves. We all lose. The cost of misaligned purpose, or not being accepted and acknowledged for the part of yourself you give is a major source of poor wellbeing and poor mental health.
So, if your gift of knowledge and contribution is well received, joy follows. This means you feel good, your brain tells you to repeat the experience, so you contribute more of yourself. Social wellbeing, fulfilment and joy, sources of good mental health and a great productive work experience.
We give your Org. the transformational means to:
1. Connect your whole Organization to purpose, on purpose, to
2. Co-create mutually beneficial practices and willing participation to
3. Grow fruitful relationships as the roots of a thriving business.
Contact us via www.orgtree.me or by email at curious@orgtree.me
We will help you get beyond your Org Chart to the connected culture that is your OrgTree.
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