Discover the difference between purpose and meaning at work, why meaning matters more than ever, and practical ways to embed it into your day.
If you’ve ever felt inadequate because you haven’t discovered your “grand purpose” or “true calling,” you’re not alone. The self-help industry has created what I call the “purpose paradox” – a system that profits from making us feel broken if we don’t wake up passionate about our work every single day.
But after years of research with leaders and teams across industries, I’ve discovered something liberating: you don’t need a Capital-P Purpose to find genuine meaning and fulfillment at work.
How Does Meaning Differ from Purpose at Work?
Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify the distinction:
• Purpose is typically organizational and externally defined. It’s the “why” behind a company’s existence.
• Meaning is personal and internally experienced. It’s the individual sense that your work matters in ways you value.
While purpose can certainly contribute to meaning, you don’t need to be working at a purpose-driven organisation to experience deeply meaningful work.
Why Meaning Matters More Than Ever
We’re entering what I call “the decade of meaning” – a shift away from the convenience-obsessed consumerism that dominated the last decade toward something deeper and more sustainable:
• According to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees globally report feeling engaged at work
• Deloitte’s research shows that mission-driven companies have 40% higher levels of retention
• BetterUp found that employees who find their work highly meaningful stay at their jobs for an average of 7.4 months longer
But perhaps most telling: meaning now ranks above salary and career progression in job decisions for the majority of professionals.
According to research published in Harvard Business Review, companies with high purpose scores showed average annual growth rates nearly 3x higher than their competitors.
Get Your Free Meaning Multiplier Toolkit (download here)
If you’re interested in implementing these approaches with your team, download our free Meaning Multiplier Toolkit which includes:
• Assessment tools to identify your team’s unique meaning drivers
• Calendar crafting templates for meaningful work design
• Guided question frameworks for meaning-centered conversations
• Implementation roadmap with measurement metrics
Want to dive deeper into this topic? Listen to our latest podcast episode where I explore how to create meaning without the pressure of finding your “one true calling.”
Are you finding meaning in your work? What small practices have helped you connect with what matters? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Related Articles You Might Enjoy:
The Missing, Essential Ingredient For Meaningful Work
What Makes Work Meaningful (Harvard Business Review)
Five Keys To Leading Through Uncertain Times (Forbes)
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