Getting Started in the Pursuit of Meaningful Work

Getting Started in the

Pursuit of Meaningful

Work Managing (your own) Talent

Dr John Kenworthy

Getting Started in the Pursuit of Meaningful Work

2 | P a g e

celsim.com

Action Guides are designed to provide you with simple and

straightforward steps to develop in a particular area of your leadership.

© Dr John Kenworthy – All Rights Reserved

Published by Corporate Edge Asia Pte Ltd.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any

form or by any means, or stored in any database or retrieval system

without the prior written permission of Corporate Edge Asia Pte Ltd.

If you need permission, you’ll have to ask. Ask, because you never

know (we may say yes).

The information in this document is accurate to the best of our

knowledge at the time of writing. As a reader you need to accept full

responsibility for your actions and should consult with a professional

about your own circumstances before following anything in the book.

Results are not guaranteed (Heck, nothing in life is guaranteed).

Further, the author and publisher have used their best efforts to proof

and confirm the content of the files, but you should proof and confirm

information such as dates, measurements, and any other content for

yourself. The author and publisher make no warranties of any kind,

express or implied, with regard to that content or its accuracy.

For more information, please write to:

Corporate Edge Asia Pte Ltd

10 Anson Road, #26-04

Singapore 079903

Phone: 65 6659 9887 (If you need to call, check the time in SG before

calling).

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.celsim.com | Facebook & Twitter: drjohnkenworthy

Published in Singapore (Where else?). Any person flouting the above

rules, will be liable for copyright infringement, plus will be sent (at your

own cost of course) to pick panda dung at the Singapore Zoo.

Copyright © 2015 Dr John Kenworthy – All Rights Reserved - www.celsim.com P a g e | 3

Contents Building a purpose-driven career ....................................................................... 4

ACTION STEP #1 – My Impact Focus .............................................................. 5

The paradox of “changing the world” ................................................................. 8

ACTION STEP #2 – My Contribution ................................................................ 9

How to build an impact-driven life ................................................................... 10

ACTION STEP #3 – My Long-term Needs ....................................................... 11

ACTION STEP #4 – My Vision for Me ............................................................. 14

Nice work! .................................................................................................... 15


4 | P a g e

Building a purpose-driven career In the process of building my own career, I’ve interacted with thousands of people –

from senior executives to university students to mid-career professionals to retired

executives – who’ve come to us for support and guidance in finding a more fulfilling

position.

And since you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that you’re on a similar journey.

In this special action guide, I’ve distilled the four action steps you can take over this

next week to crystallize your plan in finding what work will be meaningful for you:

ACTION STEP #1 – My Impact Focus .............................................................. 5

ACTION STEP #2 – My Contribution ................................................................ 9

ACTION STEP #3 – My Long-term Needs ....................................................... 11

ACTION STEP #4 – My Vision for Me ............................................................. 14

My own pursuit began when I was retrenched.

I felt betrayed and rejected. I’d done, by everyone’s estimation, an excellent job. I

was bitter and upset and clueless as to what to do next.

I needed help to work out what to do. How to identify and use my talents and move

on to something that I would really enjoy.

Have you ever been in the position of working at an organization whose mission you

don’t actually care about? Then you already understand why it’s so important to

have purpose and meaning in your work.

After all, we spend the vast majority of our waking hours at work. And over the

course of our careers, we spend hundreds of thousands of hours at our jobs.

So why wouldn’t we want work to be a place that we’re excited to go to?

Why resign ourselves to an environment where we’re surrounded by people who

don’t share our values? Where we don’t feel like we’re being challenged and

realizing our full potential? Where we are not making a difference to others?

When you start to think about it, it’s obvious. The problem is; most people never

take the time to shape proactively the direction of their careers to get what they

want. In fact, when it comes to their work, most people don’t even know what they

really want!

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by all the different things you

“should” be doing to advance your career and not know which ones to focus on.

Especially when you’re already stretched so thin between juggling your current job

and personal life.


Most people end up spending years or even decades waiting passively at

their jobs.

Wishing things would somehow get better on their own. But they never do the hard

work of defining what exactly would make them more fulfilled, and what they have

to do to turn that into reality.

So that’s where we’re going to get started: clarifying what “meaningful work”

looks like to you, so you can begin to take control over the direction of your

career.

ACTION STEP #1 – My Impact Focus Brainstorm your Impact Focus by

reflecting on three journaling questions.

To find a position with an organization

whose mission, culture, and values align

with your own, you need first to

understand what those things are for you.

While we typically disagree with the notion

that you can just lock yourself in a room

and think your way towards figuring out what your purpose in life is once and for all,

it’s definitely helpful to spend some time reflecting more generally on what you care

about and what would feel meaningful for you to work on.

Something, we notice over and over in the people who are successful in building a

career they love, is that they genuinely believe their work makes a positive

contribution to society.

“Making a positive contribution to society” could mean addressing a global issue like

climate change, gender equality, or improving access to clean water in developing

countries. Or it could be something on a smaller scale, like developing your own

community through education, arts, or environmental protection.

Or it might mean enriching people’s lives on a day-to- day basis with a simple

product that solves a particular frustrating problem.

The bottom line is that people who love what they do tend to see a positive

connection between what they do and something bigger than themselves.

If you’re unclear exactly how you’d like to contribute to making the world a better

place, here’s an exercise to help you brainstorm.

Brainstorming with others who know you well can reveal unexpected and novel possibilities.


6 | P a g e

A QUICK BUT CRITICAL TIP BEFORE WE CONTINUE... As you go through these exercises, don’t think about whether you’ve heard them

before. Reflect on whether you’ve been applying them in real life, and how you

could benefit from implementing them with more discipline and focus.

When it comes to taking action toward an enormous goal of building a more fulfilling

career, applying proven ideas with consistency will take you much farther than

reacting thoughtlessly to the latest trending tips.

Over the next week, spend 30~60 minutes reflecting on the following three

questions, by either journaling or talking about it with someone you’re very close

to.

IMPORTANT: Do this exercise in a quiet space where you can be alone, or if you’re

more comfortable talking through the questions, in a place where you can feel

completely comfortable opening up to someone.

1. What changes would you most like to see most in the world? How could you best use

your unique set of skills, knowledge, and experience to help create them?

2. What makes you most sad or angry about the state of the world, and what could you

do to help make it better?

3. What gives you the greatest joy in life? How can you help others experience the same?


These questions are designed to get you thinking on a higher level than you do in

the routines of your daily life, and they can be incredibly helpful for getting back in

touch with your values and passions.

But again, don’t feel like you need to arrive at the perfect answer of what you’re

going to dedicate the rest of your life to – what’s important is just to get started.

You don’t need to “get it right” at this moment.

Your Impact Focus (the specific changes you want to help create in the world

through your career) is something that evolves over the course of your life and

manifests in many different ways.

For example, here’s what my Impact Focus looked like a few years ago after going

through a similar brainstorm exercise and organizing my thoughts into a short,

written statement.

I want to make a difference in the lives of others, where they can

recognize their own skills and strengths, such that:

They enjoy their work

Recognize themselves for their contribution, and

Find the appropriate balance between their work life and family

life.

Note that this is an extremely broad Impact Focus. At this point, I didn’t have much

clarity on exactly what kinds of changes I wanted to help create, only that I wanted

to make a positive difference. This was the best expression I could come up with on

how I wanted the world to be different at the time.

Next is a more recent version of my Impact Focus, which ties into my role at

Corporate Edge and GAPPS (and thus what makes my own job deeply meaningful to

me).

You have greatness within you. I work with people who want to work it

out.

I encourage, enable and empower people who want to work out their

greatness for good success.

Note that the first line is a foundational belief and attitude towards other people and

is loaded with two critical words: ‘want’ and ‘work’. This is because I have learned

that who I most enjoy working with both want this for themselves and are ready

and willing to work at it – i.e. not expecting me to do it for them.

The second line includes what we do (still in broad terms) and the result. The phrase

‘good success’ embodies all the three previous bullet points.

How I want to help create those changes has become more concrete.

This is a natural evolution that occurs as you consistently reflect on what’s

meaningful to you and commit to pursuing it in your work.


8 | P a g e

The paradox of “changing the world” A big sticking point that keeps a lot of people from aligning their careers with a

meaningful purpose is that the problems, they care about, are so big or complex

that they can’t see themselves making a significant difference.

I’ve had conversations with so many people who feel like they’re just not smart

enough, talented enough, educated enough, or [insert self-limiting belief here]

enough to actually do something that matters – and I used to feel exactly the same

way.

If this rings true for you, it’s important to recognize that in order to dedicate

yourself to meaningful work, you have to be able to balance two opposing character

traits: ambition and humility.

It’s somewhat paradoxical – you can’t commit fully to a mission you’re passionate

about without actively believing that you have what it takes to make a difference.

But you also have to be humble enough to understand that you can’t do it alone.

The way to avoid feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by doubts of solving massive

problems like climate change or global poverty, is this:

remember that what matters is not necessarily the size of

your impact as an individual, but rather that you’re

making a positive contribution at all.

If you devote yourself to a problem that you believe truly matters, and you’re

working to the best of your abilities (and also trying to improve your skills over

time), you will fundamentally shift your relationship to the rest of society. You are

now part of the solution – a positive force in a larger movement that is driving

humanity forward.

Shifting your mindset to see yourself and your work in this way is one of the most

empowering things you can do to bring more meaning, inspiration, and purpose into

your life.

So next, let’s incorporate this awareness into our previous brainstorm.


ACTION STEP #2 – My Contribution Frame your Impact Focus in terms of what changes you want to see and how you

wish to contribute to it.

It may be helpful to follow the format I’ve used in my statement, but you’re free to

express this in whatever way is most natural and meaningful to you.

Here’s a basic template you can use:

I believe that [your belief or passion]. [Who you do what you do for]

I want to contribute to (specific changes you want to see in the world) by:

1.

2.

3.

Then, if you can now, translate this into a sentence that follows:

I [believe or am passionate about] so that [the contribution you make and

for whom]

After this exercise, you should have a much clearer idea of what a meaningful

mission could look like to you. Now you can start to get a sense of how you might

be able to align this Impact Focus to a role within an organization.

For your work to be meaningful, your mission and the organisation’s stated purpose

don’t have to be exactly the same. As long as some aspect of the organization’s

work contributes to your Impact Focus, you will feel a connection between your job

and your mission.

What’s most important is that there’s a strong link in your mind between:

1. What you do and what the organization does (i.e. your direct impact on the

organization), and

2. What the organization does and the changes you want to see in the world

(i.e. your organization’s impact towards your vision).


10 | P a g e

How to build an impact-driven life The end goal here is making an impactful career that’s also sustainable: meaning

you could continue to do it for an extended period and still feel motivated, engaged,

and fulfilled.

Next, we want to flesh out your vision of meaningful work by adding other elements

besides the Impact Focus.

Having a higher purpose is certainly an important aspect of a fulfilling career – but

it’s not everything. While some people prioritize the impact above all else, at

GAPPS5, we advocate a more balanced approach to professional development.

After all, who is going to have a greater effect in the long run:

someone who volunteers in the slums of India for a year, burns out and

goes back to a regular job;

or someone who transitions from one impact-driven role to another, each

with a greater set of responsibilities, influence, and lifestyle, and, as a

result, keeps at it day in and day out for 30 years?

In other words, you should consider not just how you could make a big difference,

but how you can align your Impact Focus with a life that you love.

In the book So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport, a best-selling author and

MIT PhD, talks about the three pillars that allow people to find work that they love,

based on his extensive research on career strategy.

One of those pillars is the concept of “Control”: having autonomy and the

freedom to decide what you do in your work and how you do it. We talk about this

idea often when we’re advising professionals, and we tend to broaden the concept to

include any rare and valuable trait that you seek out in your career (primarily,

things, you want that, aren’t easily attainable).

Why does Control matter if what you want is meaningful work? Imagine that you’re working for an organization that is at the forefront of addressing

the particular issue you’re most passionate about...

You know that your work is helping to move the organization forward, which is in

turn making a huge difference in solving a very real problem in the world. But, after

three months of training and on-boarding with your new team, you realize a few

things:

You’re consistently working 80 hours a week, you don’t get along very well with

your supervisor or team members, you’re not actually learning any new skills, and

you basically have no say when it comes to where and when you get your work

done.

Would you feel fulfilled working in such an environment?

Probably not.


That’s why it’s important to form a more holistic view of what you want your career

to look like, both in terms of immediate, real-world needs, as well as long-term

aspirations.

So next, let’s break down what Control means to you to ensure that the ideal

career, you're aiming to build, is uniquely meaningful to you.

ACTION STEP #3 – My Long-term Needs Create a list of 5-10 high-priority traits that you want to incorporate into your career

over time.

Here are some broad categories to consider as you’re brainstorming:

Financial

Work Environment

Lifestyle

Culture

Influence/Social Status

Professional Development

Scale/depth of Impact*

*Note that the level of the impact of your work, regardless of the

particular focus, can also be considered an aspect of Control.

In your ideal world, what is the level of control you want over each of

these aspects of your work?

What would bring more fulfillment into your career? More inspiration?

Personal growth? Excitement?

For example, a few things, I would put on my list, are:

1. I want to earn enough to maintain my current standard of living

while contributing to my Church and increasing my pro-bono work.

2. I want to feel rooted in an active community of like-minded people.

3. I want to be able to spend 1-2 months each year writing, with a

view of the beach.

4. I want to be able to decide where and how many hours I work each

day.

5. I want to have access to successful/influential people in a broad

range of fields.

Spend some time writing down your list now.


12 | P a g e

My High-priority traits I want to incorporate into my career: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.


Next, rank them in order of priority based on how soon you want to incorporate

these traits into your career. This will help you to map out what aspects of your

vision of meaningful work you wish to focus on in different phases of your career

development.

Example:

A short list for myself might look something like this:

Short term (3-6 months):

I want to earn enough to maintain my current standard of living while building the

potential to support my ideal lifestyle financially within the next three years.

I want to live in an active community of like-minded people.

Mid term (6-12 months):

I want to be able to spend 1-2 months each year writing near a beach.

I want to be able to decide where and how many hours I work each day.

Long term (1-3 years):

I want to lead a team of 12 people with a strong #2 who will succeed me and

continue my business.

I want to have access to successful/influential people in a broad range of fields.

The key insight here is that you can’t transform your current work life to your

perfect vision of meaningful work overnight. Gaining control over all the different

aspects of your work – from the types of projects you work on to the kind of people

you work with, and work-life balance – is a long-term and strategic process.

Especially early on in your career, when you have relatively little leverage to

differentiate yourself from other job seekers, you will have to prioritize which

elements you’ll work towards over time, and which you want to satisfy immediately

and won’t settle for.

That’s why it’s important to have a clear roadmap of what you’re aiming to achieve,

so that you can go after them in the most efficient order, and also lay the

groundwork to make the more long-term ones as early as possible.

So what does your roadmap look like?


14 | P a g e

ACTION STEP #4 – My Vision for Me Organize your thoughts based on the template below to combine everything we’ve

covered in this guide and form a clear vision of what meaningful work looks like to

you.

I believe that [your belief or passion]. [Who you do what you do for]

I want to contribute to (specific changes you want to see in the world) by:

1.

2.

3.

My Roadmap for Gaining Control: I want to incorporate these traits into my career in the following timeline:

Short term (defined as...):

1.

2.

3.

4.

Mid term (defined as...):

1.

2.

3.

4.

Long term (defined as...):

1.

2.

3.

4.


Nice work! Thanks for reading! I hope this guide has helped to give you some clarity on what

would make your career more fulfilling, and how to get started.

Obviously there’s a lot more to talk about in terms of how you go about realizing

the Impact Focus and Control you’ve worked to define, but it’s important to take

things one step at a time.

If you haven’t gone through the exercises yet, go back and do it now. Remember

that applying best practices with discipline and consistency, even if the actual steps

seem trite or obvious, is what leads to results.

Thanks so much for reading this guide – if you have any feedback or comments you

can reach me at [email protected].

Don’t settle,

John and the GAPPS team

To learn more about our

Talent Management and

Coaching programmes, visit

us at www.celsim.com

http://www.celsim.com




http://www.celsim.com/


16 | P a g e

celsim.com

Corporate Edge Asia Pte. Ltd. 10 Anson Road, #26-04, Singapore 079903

Tel: 65 6659 9887|Email [email protected] Facebook|Twitter: drjohnkenworthy

If you find anything that bugs you, please click on the

bug above to send me an email. Nothing is too small or

too big. And if I can, I’ll be sure to fix it. Email me at:

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://celsim.com

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Getting Started in the Pursuit of Meaningful Work