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journey of meaning at work, The

Group Facilitation, Spring 2003 by Epps, John

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However the organization's purpose is defined, it needs to be visibly displayed and rigorously pursued. Lip service will not enhance meaning, only cynicism. The purpose might be shown in posters or as slogans or on uniforms. Certainly it needs to be published in a piece that every member of the organization has access to. Mission and purpose are not about company strategy so much as they are about company meaning.

It will help to facilitate consideration of the long-range intention to conduct exercises in which people imagine the positive consequences of carrying out the organization's mission. Although the results may seem far-fetched, the exercise encourages everyone to develop their own positive relationship to the unknown future.

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IV. Conclusion

As will be obvious by now, the methods described above apply mainly to Phase One of the three pathways to meaning. When the crisis of Phase Two occurs, there is little point in trying to reinforce the joys of Phase One. People are now focused on the tedium of the particular, and reference to the glories of the larger framework will only increase the frustration.

In Phase Two, the facilitator's role shifts from indicating the grandeur of the past or the present or the future, to exploring the wonder of the particular. We can attempt to disclose meaning in every trivial detail and every onerous flaw. Each specific aspect of the work that tends to cause disgust in Phase Two can also become a moment of wonder. Without coming across as hopelessly naive, the facilitator needs to find ways of disclosing that wonder - such as creating art from the everyday, or developing stories about mundane experiences. After all, "Up close, miracles look a lot like daily drudgery."21

When people reach Phase Three, meaning is not really an issue for them They tend to embody the meaning of their work so much that they don't bother to mention it at all! One of the paradoxes of meaning is that those who are most in touch with it tend to talk least about it. It is simply assumed in everything they do. The facilitator's role in this situation is to assist these "saints" to become mentors. This can involve helping people in Phase Three to reflect on their own journey and to mark its stepping stones. But it may also involve equipping them with facilitation skills and mentoring finesse so that people who encounter them can benefit from their journey.

Notes

1 Cf. Taylor, William C. (1994). Control in an Age of Chaos. Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1994. See pp. 70-72 for a review of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, with an emphasis on meaning (details in endnote 10).

2 Cf. Compare with Korten, David (1995). When Corporations Rule the World. Kumarian Press, Berrett-Koehler Publishers. For a different view but still in the alternative that work is without meaning, see Pollen, Stephen M. & Levine, Mark(1997). Die Broke: A Radical Four-Part Financial Plan. New York: Harper Business.

3 Scott Adams (1998). The Joy of Work Dilbert's Guide to Finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-workers. New York: Harper Collins. See also www.toxicbosses.com for more stories of meaninglessness at work.

journey of meaning at work, The

Group Facilitation, Spring 2003 by Epps, John

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