The Search for Meaning at Work: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Purpose To Engage and Fulfill Your Workforce

Referring to a Gallup survey, this book claims that the vast majority of employees are not engaged with their work. That’s problematic as the book logically argues that employee engagement leads to greater productivity. Van Valin, the CEO and founder of the Culturology consulting firm, believes that an important reason numerous attempts to increase employee engagement fail is that they do not recognize the importance of workers finding meaning in their work by having a purpose, which can create a meaningful relationship with their professional roles and a desire to achieve something. The author identifies 11 amplifiers of meaning—that important someone or something that workers contribute value to—that range from oneself, to the company, to the local community, to God. Each amplifier has a chapter devoted to it, and there are “Search-For-Meaning Questions.” For example, questions in the chapter about the family amplifier are “Does my work allow me to pursue and fulfill my family priorities, and do I feel I’m a good provider for my family?”