We've reached a stage in the evolution of work where meaning is crucial to competition. Scientists, academics, and business consulting elites are all weighing in on this problem.But today's solutions aren't working and are destined to fail because, structurally, they are trying to solve the problem the wrong way.How does an organization respond to the growing demand for meaningful work?Of course, people need meaning at work. But it's organizational meaning that is the key to unlocking both individual and collective potential.In this book, the author takes us on a journey through the insights of Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Joseph Campbell, anthropology, biology, and neuroscience to understand what meaning is, how it works and what can be done to engage it.Meaning at Work is the first articulation of a process that enables everyone to participate in organizational meaning-making.

This book investigates the crucial question of how meaningful work can be fostered and sustained throughout a range of work environments.

An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates in our culture and how you can find your own path to happiness in the workplace. Why do we work? The question seems so simple. But Professor Barry Schwartz proves that the answer is surprising, complex, and urgent. We’ve long been taught that the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck. In fact, we’ve shaped much of the infrastructure of our society to accommodate this belief. Then why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through “menial” jobs? Schwartz explores why so many believe that the goal for working should be to earn money, how we arrived to believe that paying workers more leads to better work, and why this has made our society confused, unhappy, and has established a dangerously misguided system. Through fascinating studies and compelling anecdotes, this book dispels this myth. Schwartz takes us through hospitals and hair salons, auto plants and boardrooms, showing workers in all walks of life, showcasing the trends and patterns that lead to happiness in the workplace. Ultimately, Schwartz proves that the root of what drives us to do good work can rarely be incentivized, and that the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that. How did we get to this tangled place? How do we change the way we work? With great insight and wisdom, Schwartz shows us how to take our first steps toward understanding, and empowering us all to find great work.

In Thich Nhat Hanh’s latest teachings on applied Buddhism for both the work place and daily life, chapters include dealing with workplace scenarios; dealing with home and family; encounters with strangers and with daily life; transportation; and creating communities wherever you are. This book is designed for adults who are new to meditation as well as those who are more experienced. The emphasis is on how to use applied Buddhism in daily life. Work aims at contributing to new models of leadership and doing business. It is also a book full of life-coaching advice, finding happiness, and positive psychology. We all need to "Chop Wood and Carry Water". Most of us experience work, hardship, traffic jams, and everything modern, urban life offers. By carefully examining our everyday choices we can move in the direction of right livelihood; we can be a lotus in a muddy world by building mindful communities, learning about compassionate living, or by coming to understand the concept of "Buddha nature." Work also discusses mindful consumption, or the mindful use of limited resources. Instead of Living Large in Lean Times or Ramen to Riches we can learn to appreciate living less large and think about what kind of riches we want for ourselves and others.

THE NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER! ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE WHY OF WORK: "Principled, timely, and engaging, The Why of Work teaches that building a culture of abundance and common purpose is essential to organizational success." --Stephen R. Covey, bestselling author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "Will have a major impact on how individuals shape their attitude to work, how organizations create abundant cultures, and how leaders turn personal meaning into public good." --Jigmi Y. Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan "The Why of Work shows a better, different way to build and lead organizations. It is an insightful guide to how leaders can infuse meaning into their organizations." --Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Power: Why Some People Have It—and Others Don't "This book brings the question 'why' to the place in which we spend most of our adult lives, giving us insightful tools to help make a meaningful difference in people's lives." --Don Hall, Jr., president and CEO, Hallmark Cards, Inc. "This is a must read for anyone who works, leads others at work, or works to build a supportive environment." --Beverly Kaye, founder/CEO, Career Systems International, and coauthor of Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay "The Why of Work opens the door to significant employee engagement. The alignment between company values and those of customers and communities can indeed give employees a sense of purpose while delivering great results to customers!" --Paula S. Larson, Chief HR Officer, Invesys "Blackstone has proved that finding superior leaders produces superior results. Dave Ulrich has brought this thinking to a new level at Blackstone. Every private equity investor and senior manager must read this book." --James Quella, Senior Operating Partner, The Blackstone Group According to studies, we all work for the same thing--and it's not just money. It's meaning. Through our work, we seek a sense of purpose, contribution, connection, value, and hope. Digging down to the meaning of work taps our resilience in hard times and our passion in good times. That's the simple but profound premise behind this groundbreaking book by renowned management expert Dave Ulrich and psychologist Wendy Ulrich. They've talked to thousands of people--from rank-and-file workers to clients and customers to top-level executives--and synthesized major disciplines to identify the "why" behind our most successful experiences. Using the model of the "abundant organization," they provide you with the "how" to create meaning and value in your own workplace. Learn how to: Ask the seven questions that drive abundance Understand the needs of your customers and staff Personalize the work to motivate your employees Build and grow your business in any economy By following the Ulrichs' step-by-step guidelines, you will set off a chain reaction of positive and enduring effects. Employees who fi nd meaning in their work are more competent, committed, and eager to contribute—and their contribution will result in increased customer commitment, which delivers a winning performance on the bottom line. The Why of Work includes targeted checklists, questionnaires, and other useful tools to help you turn aspirations into action. Using the proven principles of abundance, you can coordinate your needs with those of your employers, your employees, and your customers--and create a vision that resonates for years to come. When you understand why we work, you know how to succeed.

A pioneer of the emerging spirituality and work movement offers an honest, insightful, and challenging guide to working with meaning in any job.

The hidden brain is the voice in our ear when we make the most important decisions in our lives—but we’re never aware of it. The hidden brain decides whom we fall in love with and whom we hate. It tells us to vote for the white candidate and convict the dark-skinned defendant, to hire the thin woman but pay her less than the man doing the same job. It can direct us to safety when disaster strikes and move us to extraordinary acts of altruism. But it can also be manipulated to turn an ordinary person into a suicide terrorist or a group of bystanders into a mob. In a series of compulsively readable narratives, Shankar Vedantam journeys through the latest discoveries in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral science to uncover the darkest corner of our minds and its decisive impact on the choices we make as individuals and as a society. Filled with fascinating characters, dramatic storytelling, and cutting-edge science, this is an engrossing exploration of the secrets our brains keep from us—and how they are revealed.