Finding meaning at work is hot! Brand U values do matter. Silicon Graphics gives ‘spirit’ awards to employees who embody the company’s ideals in a poem. Lotus Development Corporation has a ‘soul’ committee to find ways to improve employee morale. Are these serious efforts or are they the latest fad? As more power shifts to the Brand U worker, employers realize they must accommodate to keep employees or have their ‘knowledge capital’ walk.
Finding meaning, spirit, and the soul of the Brand U workplace is not pure altruism. It’s largely a reaction to toxic workplaces, lack of job security, and the changing employer-employee contract. Also, many Brand U’s want more out of life than a paycheck. We want freedom, a balanced life, or meaningful work. Is this the latest fad at work or is a lasting phenomenon? Well, it’s estimated that 80% of workers engage in some form of workplace contemplation or spiritual practice.[i] Walk around some of the cubes at work and look closely at what people have on their desks, pictures of loved ones and maybe a religious symbol.
[i] Zachary, G. Pascal, “The New Search for Meaning in ‘Meaningless’ Work,” Wall Street Journal, January 9, 1997, B1.