Purpose, Productivity and the Second Pandemic

Like it or not, the Covid-19 pandemic forced a mass reevaluation of work that resulted in many of us demanding more from the place we spend 90,000 hours of our lives - more purpose, pay and support. In particular, purpose has gained importance as Gen Z and Millennials have grown to comprise a larger share of the working population. Employers must prepare to answer these demands or risk losing critical talent in a tight labor market.

Do employees clearly see how their role contributes to the organization’s mission? Do their daily activities align with their own personal sense of purpose? What is the connection between purpose, productivity, and burnout (aka: the second pandemic)?

I launched WhyWork two years ago to help people answer these questions and understand the importance of asking them in the first place. Closing the gap between what we expect and what we get out of work isn’t just good for productivity and retention though - it’s the only true antidote to burnout. As I wrote in the StarTribune earlier this year, burnout lives in the space between the reality of our work and our expectations of it.

To close that gap, we must have honest and informed conversations about our expectations. Is our workplace as safe and inclusive as we expect it to be? How do we define meaning and progress in our work? How much of our individual purpose is derived from work in the first place?

Employers who don’t initiate these conversations risk more than a workforce of quiet (and loud) quitters - they risk burning out their teams. To stop the downward spiral of productivity and rising levels of burnout, leaders must help employees discover the intrinsic purpose they find in their work and support them in achieving it through their role (aka: job crafting). Employers don’t have to tackle this alone; I created the WhyWork process to help through strategic listening strategies, workshops and individualized engagement planning.

2023 was the year we began to be more honest with ourselves. More than 50% of workers admit their productivity is down and 59% acknowledge experiencing burnout at least once this year. Let’s make 2024 the year we’re honest with each other. Let’s close the gap between our reality and expectations - and beat burnout for good.