{"id":37276,"date":"2024-07-24T12:50:29","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T17:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/?p=37276"},"modified":"2024-07-24T12:51:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T17:51:21","slug":"helping-passion-meet-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/helping-passion-meet-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Passion Meet Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine \u201cAlan.\u201d He\u2019s an enthusiastic college grad brimming with promise and passion. Motivating some of your other people can be an uphill climb, but not so with Alan\u2014he\u2019s primed and ready to ascend.<\/p>\n

For years, Alan exceeds expectations and over-delivers for every project assigned. Promotions, merit increases, and awards follow him like contrails from a plane on its way to some technicolor destination. What\u2019s more, Alan speaks humbly and passionately of his lofty goals; he seems dead set on seeing them through.<\/p>\n

Then something unexpected happens: Alan\u2019s career hits turbulence.<\/p>\n

Following years of energy and growth, Alan begins to plateau. He seems bored by his work and even despondent. \u201cWhat\u2019s it all for, anyways,\u201d he stares at your office ceiling and wonders aloud. \u201cI mean, what impact are we really making in the world?\u201d<\/p>\n

The thread is frayed between Alan\u2019s work, its meaning, and his purpose.<\/p>\n

His present severed from his future, Alan settles into a monotonous work routine and stops dreaming. Suddenly, his title and bonuses aren\u2019t enough to fill the yawning hole he feels within. Alan\u2019s passion wanes.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Alan has joined ranks with some of the \u201cothers\u201d you once worried about motivating. What happened?<\/p>\n

At some point, we all ask these existential questions about the meaning of our work:<\/p>\n

\u201cIs what I\u2019m doing making an impact?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill my work have any lasting effect on the world?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Or perhaps even more cynically, \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

These are questions of purpose.<\/p>\n

Purpose: The North Star<\/h2>\n

Synonymous with \u201cmeaning\u201d or \u201cvision,\u201d our purpose is what author and former CEO Bill George calls our \u201cNorth Star<\/a>\u201d: the constant in our lives comprising our values, beliefs, and inspirations. McKinsey research<\/a> indicates people who \u201clive their purpose\u201d at work boast well-being FIVE times higher than those who don\u2019t. Furthermore, University of Michigan Psychology professor Dr. Victor Strecher<\/a> found that people who identify their core values (i.e., what matters most to them) are motivated from within to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Become their best self<\/li>\n
  2. Live or work with dedicated purpose<\/li>\n
  3. Have increased resilience and job satisfaction<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How L&D Can Help<\/h2>\n

    Odds are, you\u2019ve met Alan during a training session or coaching call. As Learning and Development (L&D) professionals, we can help people who feel lost in their career by rewiring the connection between work and purpose.<\/p>\n

    How?<\/p>\n

    At my consulting firm, L&D found a unique way to help our employees discover and bring their purpose to any project they\u2019re on. Consulting is a demanding profession; the targets for success can change from client to client. Ensuring our people can see their career\u2019s \u201cNorth Star\u201d often results in enduring grit<\/a>, reduced burnout, greater passion, and better delivery for our clients.<\/p>\n

    How do we do it?<\/p>\n

    First, our L&D team discusses purpose in onboarding. Every onboarding group participates in a module called, \u201cFinding Your WHY\u201d (a nod to Simon Sinek<\/a>). We share the aforementioned research on the importance of purpose and exchange stories about how bringing purpose to work buoyed sinking careers. Then we close with a 20-minute, silent activity where everyone reflects on their core values, identifies what makes them tick, and drafts a \u201cWHY\u201d statement.<\/p>\n

    Second, we ask our new hires to share their WHY statements with their assigned, professional mentors (senior managers). And here\u2019s the key\u2014our mentors also have drafted WHY statements in their own mentorship training. So mentors can form an immediate connection with their mentees around purpose, folding the topic into recurring conversations.<\/p>\n

    The Results<\/h2>\n

    The results have been beyond what we could\u2019ve expected. More than a quarter of our new hires rated the WHY module as their favorite. Furthermore, we have numerous testimonials about the impact the module has made on their well-being and work:<\/p>\n