It used to be that people who wanted meaningful work chose to work in organizations and professions that were inherently meaningful. As society and individuals have evolved in the past few decades, meaning has become a minimum requirement for every organization. Exxon Mobil talks about meaning in terms of ensuring the gentlest clean energy transition possible, and defense companies like Lockheed Martin talks about securing peace through the development of effective deterrence capabilities. Some of this talk is empty and some industries might still struggle to create the sense that they are creating meaning (hedge funds and tobacco companies come to mind), but one doesn’t have to be running a non-profit, government agency, or school to be manufacturing meaning.
I just had a meaningful conversation with a brilliant person who recommended I consider helping businesses find a more effective meaning footing through qualitative research, analysis, and strategy. I am taking her advice and starting to build a series of methods, approaches, and case studies of meaning creation and acceleration across organizational categories. Whether you’re selling insurance, building software, or making coffee, there’s meaning in there to find, acknowledge, and begin to be in awe of. I experience gobs of meaning when I see people making meaning in their lives, organizations, and communities and am looking for organizational leaders that might be open to being interviewed about the meaning they make and observe in their businesses. If you know anyone that this language of organizational meaning might resonate with who is already on the meaning-path, please send them my way. I’ll be re-tooling my consulting website (www.patchstreetstrategy.com) to reflect this meaning orientation and anyone can get in touch there.
Roman Ryan 