Meaningful Work

Is it possible to have a meaningful, well-paying job? Or is that the reason many of us pursue self-employment, or work in a non-profit organisation?

Simon Young explores these questions and reviews the book Equipped to Lead, which suggests that 'truly being of service to others' is more profitable for organisations.

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I've met many people - you may be one of them - who have the potential to make immense amounts of money selling things they don't like to people who don't need them.

Some hunker down, propelled by mortgages, kids or just fear of the unknown, slowly dying inside while they use their creative talents to serve someone else's vision.

Others make a break for it, becoming self employed, or finding an organisation whose values they align with. Often, these organisations are in the charity or arts world, and classify as "not-for-profits".

This classification is great, because it frees the organisation from the sole motivation of making a profit. In this way, every company should be not-solely-for-profit, but instead be focusing on at least a triple bottom line. 

Nonprofit status also has its subtle disadvantages. We form habits pretty easily, and the expectation of funds from charitable and community trusts is an easy habit to form. Do our not-for-profit organisations need to get more entrepreneurial, and think of more ways to create value that people will pay for? 

I believe some of the answer comes in the new generation that is coming into the workforce. While those of us in Generation X had a tradition of delaying our good deeds until we had enough money and security, Gen Y's want it all. They want to make money - lots of it - while making the world a better place. They want fun and fulfilment as well.

It's all quite unreasonable really.

And as George Bernard Shaw said,

“Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.”