How We Set Up Purposeful Work

 

The question of whether man is inherently good or evil has been debated since, well, the dawn of humanity.

The truth, of course, is far from simplistic and relies on so many factors. The reality is man has the potential to be either good or evil and much of that depends on the structures being used to support him.

Let’s look at purposeful work as an example. This concept is gaining prominence and can serve as a fantastic way to help those of us who want to feel we are making a difference as we participate in the economy and marketplace.

Let’s look at how we set this up.

For a lot of us working the 9-5 office shift our job is simply a way to pay our bills, a burden to manage until we get to go home.

Introducing purposeful work into the environment has the potential to radically improve our relationships to our jobs, giving us new initiative and purpose.

It can start with something as simple as a new company mission statement. Clearly lay out the change you are aiming to make in the company and the world at large, whether it be simple (“Helping connect communities through technology”) or grander in scale (“Eliminating child hunger”).

Pinpointing the positive impact the business seeks to make is an easy way to help company employees recognize the good they are doing and embrace their role in purposeful work.

For entrepreneurs the road to purposeful work is much easier to see. With greater control over the projects you create and perfect you have a stronger ability to control the impact your company and/or project will have on the world at large.

If you know where you want to make an impact this is a smart route to take.

Take Propel and its Fresh EBT app. Created by Jimmy Chen, this initiative is revolutionizing how low-income families are managing their food stamps. Describing his mission as “a more user-friendly safety net” Chen and Propel are now providing needed assistance to the 40 million Americans living in poverty and receiving food stamps.

This is a desperately needed upgrade that is improving the livelihood of low-income Americans and shows why purposeful work is important.

Major corporations can also serve as an example of how purposeful work can be manifested.

Take, for example, Hershey. Proclaiming itself to be “the first purpose-driven company” and founded by a man who believed in “doing well by doing good” Hershey has long gone out of its way to be more than just a basic food corporation.

Just look at the town of Hershey, designed to be the ideal community for Hershey workers, or Milton Hershey School. These are examples of the good things that can come from a company created by someone who understands purposeful work. Do good things with your profits and the power that comes with owning a successful business.

This can serve as a great example of how and why all businesses should embrace purposeful work.

Purposeful work is not limited to a segment of the work force. Instead it is a concept that should be embraced by the world at large.

Purposeful work is one of the routes we can take to make the world a better place. We have the power to do real good for ourselves and the planet, so let’s do what needs to be done.