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You Only Have One Flashlight

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You Only Have One Flashlight

Guest writer Sonya Law shares the importance of honing your focus and discovering your purpose. You only have one flashlight, and you need to be particular about where you shine that light!

What you FOCUS on grows.

When we focus on PURPOSEFUL work that we feel connected to it’s POWERFUL.

“Find clarity on what is your passion, focus on what gives you joy, it will bring you closer to your purpose, then align your life and work with it…” Sonya Law

Driven employees take ownership!

We know that feeling when we can’t wait to get out of bed and get working, we are energized by our work-day not the other way around. Commonly though most employees are out of step with what they enjoy.  

We have all been asked to do things in our job that we don’t agree with but because of our position and responsibility we carry out the task.  In Human Resources this is very common particularly in restructuring and redundancy situations.  Tasks that leave us questioning why we do the work we do? Creates a feeling of emotional dissonance and we feel burnt out, broken and overwhelmed instead.

This isn’t always the case, when we carry out these tasks with humility, care and professionalism we create trust, respect and genuine connection with employees.

Why is this important? Because as leaders we spend a lot of time and money directing, delegating and managing the performance of others and what we need is driven employees to take ownership.

This is a journey of focusing on work that gives us joy and aligning ourselves with it! 

Happy employees are fulfilled employees!

When we align our life with work that we enjoy we experience fulfillment. Our purpose is a cross section of work that we are good at and that we enjoy.  As an activity we can reflect on our career to gain clarity on what work we enjoy.  

This inquiry asks 3 questions:

  1. What do you want for self, family and the world (greater good)?
  2. What is the problem you are trying to solve in society?
  3. What do you CARE about?

Over the last 30 years I have talked with thousands of people about their career and they talk a lot about not feeling connected to their work and wanting something that makes them feel fulfilled and part of something bigger than themselves.

Because as we know from Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, once we have satisfied our desire for food, shelter and love, we want to experience self-actualization, to live our best lives and work is a big part of our life!
Leader as Coach – what is their role!

As leaders, we lean into the role of leader as coach and engage with our people in new ways.

When, we are given the privilege of a position in leadership it is a great responsibility, our IMPACT has a ripple effect.  

As leaders we need to:

  1. BE clear on our PURPOSE
  2. ENABLE others to find theirs
  3. CONNECT people with work that is engaging and empowering.

What are the attributes of a leader as coach?

  1. Lean in, listen and learn – BE curious
  2. Understand – BE empathetic
  3. Connect and build relationships with their people – BE RELATIONAL.

Purpose is number one in the TALENT game!

Best Practice in Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in human resources and staffing is connecting people with their purpose.  Organizations who focus on the following will retain and attract and develop top talent.

  •  Purpose – to engage employees in work that is purposeful that they enjoy.
  • Autonomy – trust employees to decide when, where and how work gets done.
  • Cultural alignment – provide a sense of belonging, they feel they have found their tribe.
  • Psychological safety – understand people want to maintain emotional well-being and positive mental health.
  • Connection and Community – want time with family, partners, pet’s and be connected to the community in which they live. 

Purpose focuses us on what we are good at and what we enjoy! 

Purpose is a cross section of both what we are good at and what we enjoy.  So how do we know when we are connected with our purpose at work?

  1. Our values are ALIGNED
  2. Our work makes a DIFFERENCE
  3. It doesn’t feel like work, more like FLOW or PLAY
  4. We SHOW up as ourselves
  5. We have increased ENERGY and vibrancy
  6. We deliver VALUE to our stakeholders, employees and customers
  7. We DO life, it does not DO us!

“We only have one flashlight and when we focus on PUPOSEFUL work that we feel connected to its POWERFUL”.

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A Pathway to Purpose Through Learning

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A Pathway to Purpose Through Learning

We are all consumed with plans and budgets and objectives. We do them predictably and rigorously at least once a year. Most of us have mission statements and vision statements posted on boards throughout the company. Yet I wonder how many of us have a purpose. Not only that, how many of us know how to find our purpose? I submit that you can find a pathway to your purpose through learning.

Let me start by explaining what I mean by a “sense of purpose.” A sense of purpose is the motivation that drives you toward a satisfying future. It also helps you get the most from the things that you do and achieve in the here and now. Alright that is reasonably clear but how to I get a sense of purpose? That is a problem. Only around 25% of American adults cite having a clear sense of purpose about what makes their lives meaningful, according to one analysis of the subject in the New York Times while 40% claim neutrality on the subject or say they don’t. A study in 2010 by Applied Psychology found that individuals with high levels of eudemonic well-being – which involves having a sense of purpose along with a sense of control and feeling like what you do is worthwhile – tend to live longer. A 2016 study in the Journal of Research and Personality found that individuals who feel a sense of purpose make more money than individuals who feel that their work lacks meaning. These studies and findings tell us you don’t have to worry about making money or being happy, just find your own sense of purpose and pursue it.

What is your purpose in life is a different kind of question isn’t it? It isn’t what do you do or how do you do it or even why you do it. It is what is your purpose. Now that is a real poser. How many of you ask your team members what they believe their purpose is in life? I don’t imagine any of you do. That is much too much of an invasion of what we determine is our “private” space. How are we supposed to know if any of our team are fulfilled in their job or is it “just” a job?

That has been on my mind recently as we slowly come out of the funk that this pandemic has put us in. I have written in the past that we need to push forward. We need to show resilience and strength and continue to serve our customer needs. After all they all struggled to make a living and make ends meet themselves. We need to be strong and present for them.

Recently I read a document about learning from Kinsey Consulting that got my attention. Unilever was the subject of the article and it dealt with creating “an engine of success which is fueled by continual learning.” They are trying to create an atmosphere “where purpose and skill travel the same path.” The consumer goods giant believes that the engine of success is fueled by continual learning. Part of reimagining organizations is the ability to create an atmosphere where purpose and skill travel on the same path.

At Unilever, that’s being accomplished through the company’s Future Fit initiative launched earlier this year, says Leena Nair, Unilever CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer). Every person in the company has this plan, which contains four elements, she says. Employees start by identifying their purpose. “We feel that people learn best in areas that they feel purposeful about,” Nair says.

From there, the plan addresses employees’ energy level and overall well-being, and how they can improve both; leadership training and areas of development; and, lastly, actual skills. Nair says Unilever has created a learning pathway for all positions within the company. “We think our approach is unique and well suited for the environment we’re in,” she says. “There’s too much noise right now about what to learn; there’s too much coming at employees.” Being actively involved in the process allows employees to take ownership of their career. “It’s not something being done to them,” she adds. “It’s them embracing the change they need, and the company needs, to move through and past this pandemic.”

This is the direct purpose of our job function skills assessments. Although there are many paths for business to follow there is no one path that is perfect for everyone. It seems to be quite clear, however, that there is a need for a clear purpose, a strategy that everyone is aware of and a strong emphasis on learning. That is what we are aiming to do at Learning Without Scars. Our purpose is to help employees think about and understand their individual potential. Then to provide each employee the learning tools, the assessments and classes, that will help them work towards achieving that potential. It is not an easy road to pursue. It is a path that requires a lot of self-discipline and hard work. It is a path that we are on with each and every one of our employee and business clients. Our purpose is clear. Who wants to join with us on this journey?

 

The time is now.

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