Work That Matters Starts With Matters That Work

To most of us, the phrase “work that matters” infers job satisfaction. The outcome is lower stress, lower turnover, and higher productivity—in business, a win-win for employees, customers, and shareholders. The logic is infallible. So, I ask you, why is there such a gap between the theory and the practice? Why are so many organizations and so many workers struggling to find workplace nirvana?

Work that matters is a key success factor for every business. But as a concept it is no different than a long list of other key success factors that organizations strive to achieve. We read about these factors in the quintessential mission statements that occupy real estate in annual reports and gather dust in reception lobbies. Companies say they want to be customer-centric, to be innovative, to produce outstanding products and services, to be environmentally responsible, to be socially responsible, and so on. But they continue to fall short of these superlatives. Herein lies the difference between objectives and strategy.

Matters that work

It’s impossible to find work that matters without implementing matters that work. Some of these matters are the responsibility of the company; others are shared between the company and the employee. However, without five core prerequisites in place, work that matters will continue to be elusive.

1. Matters of vision. The starting place is a corporate purpose that will not only resonate with employees but also bind them together. Sure, we’d all prefer a moral purpose, such as working for a company that is saving lives or saving the planet. But, that’s not to say you can’t be inspired by a company vision that thrills customers the way Zappos does.
2. Matters of value. For the nearly 5,000 employees who work at L.L. Bean, the idea of selling really good merchandise at a reasonable profit and treating customers like human beings is worth the effort. For Wegman’s Food Markets, it’s all about caring, high standards, making a difference, respect, and empowerment. Those who walk the talk create work that matters.
3. Matters of teamwork. Teamwork is more than the ability to work together toward a common goal. It is the opportunity and a privilege to do so—a matter of allowing ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. When they do this, they collectively celebrate the results.
4. Matters of excellence. If you strive for mediocrity, you’ll never be happy in your work. Likewise, if you strive for excellence in an organization that blocks your ability to realize excellence, you’ll never be happy in your work. A matter of excellence is a shared responsibility. The company must create an environment in which achievers can achieve.
5. Matters of focus. Is vision, values, teamwork, and excellence, enough? Not if you are working on a plethora of matters that aren’t adding value. So why do you do them? Is it because you cling to tasks that make you feel busy or important? Look at your daily tasks and decide which ones can either be dropped, delegated, or outsourced. Ultimately, when you do less, better, you’ll find yourself doing more of the things that make a difference.

Of course, there’s a lot more to job satisfaction than these five core prerequisites. That said, for those keen to realize a more human way to do business, the starting place is rather simple. Seek out organizations that know how happy employees make for happy customers, and how happy customers make for happy shareholders. These companies are easy to find, but job vacancies in those organizations? Not so much, for the obvious reason.

About The Author

John Bell

John R. Bell is a retired CEO of a consumer packaged goods company, and a former global strategy consultant. Bell is the author of the book, Do Less Better: The Power of Strategic Sacrifice in a Complex World (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), and the novel, The Circumstantial Enemy (independently published, 2017), a historical thriller based on true World War II events. A prolific blogger, Bell’s musings on strategy, leadership, and branding appear in several online journals including Fortune and Forbes.