“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?” – Bob Marley
We shouldn't. Connecting with the spark that brought us to the work we do keeps us in touch with the intrinsic value we see in it. We aren’t robots. We’re people driven by feelings, inspiration, and a sense of possibility. The meaning we select for these emotions connects us with our creativity. It connects us to the essence of humanity. The meaning matters!
Real World Story
Had the opportunity to work with our American military, who were training Afghans alongside NATO forces. An unfortunate incident called for a deeper understanding between all parties. We arranged a meeting with Afghan tribal leaders to discuss the meaning of our work together. To connect them to our purpose, we had first to understand theirs. It was a four-hour meeting where we drank tea and talked about our families. In the last two minutes of our time together, we had the opportunity to pitch a new way forward. By understanding their priorities, we created the space for them to understand ours. Connecting their meaning with ours no doubt saved lives. In my travels around the world, I’ve found that people generally want two things in their lives. They want to provide for their families and do something meaningful for the world. The work your team is doing is an opportunity to do both. Seeking first to understand each other before seeking to be understood helps create a team out of a group of people.
On Your Own
Reflect on what the work you’re doing means to you. How does it connect to your core values? How does it help provide for your family? How does it help others? This is your intrinsic motivation.
With Others
The “CEO” of your team isn’t the only person responsible for making a connection to the value of your work together. It’s everyone’s responsibilit y. During your time together, build in time to connect decisions and the resulting actions to your overall purpose and how it serves others. Waiting until the end of your time together waters down the connection to the impact you are having. Don’t wait. Asking for everyone’s connecti on to meaning along the way provides the necessary motivation for continued progress.
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