The search for meaning at work

There's a lot of soul-searching going On the workplace. Employees want more than a good paycheck and benefits; they want their work to have meaning and passion. Organizations needn't worry. When their jobs are more fulfilling, people are more productive and that can mean a healthier bottom line as well as happier employees. Caudron takes us on the search for meaning at work through such real-life examples as Christian Blackwell, who gave up a lucrative international banking career to move to-vermont and spend more time skiing and with his family. Executives at outplacement firms also report hearing from people that they want more personal satisfaction han top salaries. The leaders of this movement, if it is indeed a movement, are the baby boomers. They have reached a point in their lives at which they seek spiritual awakening and a work life balance, or what Abraham Maslow termed self-actualization. So, what makes work meaningful? Caudron conveys the varying definitions; it depends on who you ask. The article also describes what some companies are doing to help their employees find more satisfaction and fulfillment at work through informal and formal programs, Such as intrepreneurship. One such program was instituted after a restructuring failed to produce the expected boost, in productivity. The article also provides some guidelines for creating meaning at work.