“Without work all life goes rotten- but when work is soulless, life stifles and dies.” – Albert Camus

Recently there has been discussion among consultants, business owners and CEOs
about the search for soul in the workplace. While most agree that religion is
not an appropriate topic to approach at work, leaders are examining the role of
true meaning and purpose in the corporation, both on an organizational and
individual level.

Tom Peters, Stephen Covey and Warren Bennis have joined the discussion. A search
of the literature and the Internet reveals new books on the subject of bringing
heart and soul to business. Stephen Covey says there is a “spiritual renaissance
taking place in the business world today.”

At the same time that corporate leaders are searching to discover ways to ignite
commitment and performance, people working at all levels are seeking to find
true meaning in what they do. There is a struggle to find what engages one at
work at the deepest level.

The nature of work is changing in our world today. Job security is gone. The
rapidly changing job environment causes many of us to ask ourselves questions
such as, “What is the true meaning or purpose in my work?”

A group of CEO’s of fast-growing technology companies were asked, “What will be
the greatest challenge facing your organization five years from now?” More than
half responded with something like, “We will be struggling with how to re-ignite
commitment and help people find meaning in their work.”

It is no longer sufficient to have a job; many people are seeking a fuller life
at work, one that is consistent with the larger focus of their lives. These
ideas are now seen as a vital component of workplace satisfaction, which in turn
affects performance and productivity.

Important concepts covered in the full, 2,000-word article:

How Life at Work is Like a Marriage
Fulfilling Essential Human Needs
The Language of Fulfillment and Meaning at Work
How You Can Awaken Your Sense of Meaning at Work
How the Organization Can Find True Meaning for Itself
Four Paths for Finding True Meaning at Work
A List of Resources about Meaning at Work

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Everyone knows that when people feel good, they work better, are more
creative and more productive. The ability to inspire positive feelings in others
is a key leadership quality. Good feelings are like lubrication to the brain -
mental efficiency goes up, memory is sharpened, people can understand directions
and make better decisions.

The challenge for leaders is obtaining a balance between worker’s feeling good,
having satisfying relationships, and keeping the focus on performance goals. The
ability of a leader to foster group enthusiasm can determine its success.
Conversely, emotional conflicts in a group take time, attention and energy away
from shared tasks and performance suffers.

Executive coaching can help a leader communicate feelings that are realistic and
authentic, maintain positive emotions in the face of stressful challenges, and
inspire energy and enthusiasm. Acquiring realistic optimism and improving one’s
Attributional Style can help a leader discover how to do this. Improving one’s
conscious awareness of Attributional Style and common attributional errors will
increase one’s ability to experience and sustain positive emotions.

Research shows that for every 1 percent improvement in the service climate,
there’s a 2 percent increase in revenue. According to Goleman, Boyatzis and
McKee in Primal Leadership (2002), how people feel about working at a company
can account for 20 to 30 percent of business performance.

Important concepts covered in the full 2,200 word article:

How Emotions are Contagious in the Workplace
People Work Better when Feeling Good
The Importance of Being Optimistic – and the Pitfalls
What is Attributional Style?
What are Attributional Errors?
The Power of Positive Psychology:
Authentic Happiness
A List of Resources on Positive Emotions

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The Art of Positive Emotions: What is Your Attributional Style? Click HERE

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