Why Do You Do The Work You Do?

When was the last time you sat with your thoughts and pondered the time of this newsletter? Why do I do the work I do?

My podcast guest Matt Poepsel shared how he asked himself this question, and whether we realize it or not, we and everyone else are answering it in some way each day.

I showed up to work today because I need money to pay for my kids to play sports.

I showed up to work today because this was the only job I could get that pays enough where I live to chip away at my college debt.

I showed up to work today because I trained to do this in college, which fits my degree.

I showed up to work today because I took over this business from my parents, who took it over from theirs.

I showed up for work today because I need to save enough money to buy a house where my kids and dog can play safely in the backyard rather than the park a couple of blocks away.

I showed up at work because…

Those are real reasons why people all over the world work.

Most are centered in fear—a fear that, without doing the work, they are unable to earn the income needed to cover or create a lifestyle.

As the opening quote shares ‘fear destroys…”

It's no wonder people are disengaged.  

Who's in the Boat?

In a training I received from the Maxwell Leadership organization earlier this year, they categorized people into three sections.

Busting their Butts, Looking at the Scenery, Trying to Sink the Boat.

The image below depicts these groups in an organizational boat.

35% are working hard. They need their jobs to pay their bills, achieve recognition, fulfill their purpose, and more.

52% are along for the ride.  They have all the needs of the other group.  But for some reason, putting the paddle in the water and helping the cause is beyond them now.

13% also have the exact needs as the other two groups.  Yet they are using their paddle to hit people, or trying to poke a hole in the boat, or even worse, using it to slow the boat down.

The Killer Bs

In his book Expand the Circle, Matt Poepsel shares, under the title “Killer Bs,” the three conditions every worker seeks to fulfill.

Being -  Who am I really?

Belonging - Where do I fit in? 

Bigger than myself - How does what I’m doing make a difference in the world?

When satisfied, these three conditions allow each worker to meet all the other needs they may have; they also calm the fears.

If I know who I am and what I enjoy doing, I know that when I show up to work in a place that fulfills the “being” condition, it means more than making enough money to pay for my son or daughter to engage in the activities they love.  I'm more engaged.

Suppose I know where I fit into the place where I work. To say I’m appreciated for who I am and what I can contribute to the organization I work for is a bigger reason than the money that will be used to pay off my college tuition debt.

If I know that my work improves someone else's quality of life, I show up to do the work to accomplish that. I also earn the money to buy the house, play toys, and pets for my kids so they can have a great childhood.

When the Killer Bs are fulfilled, money's meaning is still important, but it becomes a secondary motivator.

A fat horse will run just as fast as a skinny one when it runs for the love of the race, long after the skinny horse runs out of energy.  And a skinny horse will run to their death when they know the rider they are carrying depends on them.

No amount of food will motivate a horse when it knows why it's running.

Yet for the horse who doesn't know why it runs, every twig, sprig, or green leaf looks like a meal they need.

A Generational Revolution

The 2020-2021 Global Pandemic changed each of our lives in ways that we may never be able to count or quantify.

One major enlightenment many people have experienced is answering the title question: why do I do the work I do?

This seeking was driven because the Killer Bs had to be answered.

We had people who had to ask or answer: Am I essential or non-essential?

If the answer for you was essential and it forced major obstacles to meet your needs—food, childcare, health—you would push back and say, ‘Is being essential worth it?’

If the answer was non-essential, eventually the question would arise: " Why am I doing this if it doesn't even matter to the world?”

This revolution forced people to assess their leadership style because when leaders fear “is it worth it” or “do I even matter?”, how can they effectively help others?

Many have embraced the idea of seeking answers outside of work so that they can find work where they are fulfilled, where they feel they belong, and where they are bigger than themselves.

Summit

There is still time. We still have a few spots left. The 2nd Annual Impact Driven Leader Summit will help you figure out what fears may be deep inside you that are showing up in your life and expressed in relationships.

There will also be three amazing speakers who will share how they have navigated the same path the rest of us have over the last few years.

How to lead well in a day and age when more and more people are fed up with the way things are and have been.

Did you catch this podcast? If not, listen to it here.