Here's how you can foster a sense of purpose and meaning for your employees in the workplace.

Employees' feeling of purpose and meaning is fostered via clear communication, empowerment, and acknowledgment. Begin by outlining the organization's goal and how each function contributes to it. Employees should be empowered by including them in decision-making processes and offering chances for professional development. Recognize and celebrate accomplishments, large and small, to reinforce their influence. Create a friendly environment that fosters cooperation and creativity. Provide meaningful work that reflects their beliefs and talents, as well as frequent feedback and coaching to assist them in realizing their development and potential.

Clarify and Communicate Values: Start by clearly defining your company's values and ensure they are communicated consistently across all levels. This clarity helps employees understand what the organisation stands for and how their work contributes to those values. Integrate Values into Operations: Embed these values into daily operations and decision-making processes. When values are actively reflected in how tasks are approached and decisions are made, employees see their work as meaningful and aligned with broader organisational goals. Recognise and Reward Alignment: Acknowledge and reward behaviours that align with the company's values. Celebrate achievements that demonstrate these values in action.

I like to empower leaders by requiring them to be working on one Continuous Improvement initiative at all times. This is an area of improvement chosen by them, a solution hypothesized by them, and experimentation run by them. This is their area and I want (and need) them to feel full ownership of the area. My role is to manage the framework under which CI is recorded/memorialized, to provided necessary data, and to facilitate cross-functionally. This not only lets the leader of that area come up with their own innovative solution, but creates an organization-wide system where all leaders know that their ideas will not only be heard, but are required.

Most people thrive on making a difference, whether internally or externally. And your best people not only thrive on making a difference, but also desire the opportunity for increased impact over time. In my experience, changing the growth path conversation to be about impact (as a natural career progression), rather than about promotion, leads to much healthier talent development conversations. It also opens up many more opportunities for what a growth path can look like - for obvious reasons one can only get promoted a finite number of times, yet there is infinite opportunity to find new ways of making a meaningful difference.

While it’s important to celebrate the visible efforts like new deals and external partnerships, it’s equally crucial to acknowledge the hidden ones. These are the efforts made behind the scenes that may not get the spotlight but are just as significant.