Behar: Purpose is the antidote to backbreaking labor
Executive summary: working without a purpose can drive people insane. On the contrary, purpose-based companies thrive in terms of economic benefits and talent management.
” A wealthy landowner found it relaxing to observe his laborers rhythmically swinging their scythes, harvesting the wheat in his fields. Wishing to enjoy the same peace of mind constantly, he approached one of the peasants with a proposition.
“I will pay you double your wages,” he told the peasant, “to stand in my living room and swing your scythe.”
The peasant agreed with an undisguised excitement, as he would be doubling his pay while considerably easing his workload.
After several hours of his imaginary labor, however, the peasant quit. Even when the landowner offered to further double his wages, he refused.
“When I don’t see the results of my actions,” he declared, “it is impossible to work.” (1).
You must not work him with backbreaking labor (Leviticus 25:43. Parshah Behar.).
What really breaks one’s back, according to Hassidut, is the lack of purpose. Working without one can drive someone insane, literally (2).
This is particularly relevant in the current world. Gallup, an annual wide scale study on engagement at work, distinguishes between people engaged, people neither engaged nor disengaged and people actively disengaged (3).
To illustrate this categorization, if your company’s purpose is to build flying airplanes, engaged people help you do so. People neither engaged nor disengaged do not really care. People actively disengaged want the airplane not to fly. Not only that but they also entice people from the previous categories to follow their opinion (4).
In 2022, 32% of the workface was engaged, 50% was neither engaged nor disengaged; 18% was actively disengaged, a 9-year low point in the US (5). This means that close to 20% of your people on average are working against you!
This is indeed insane.
Some companies did get the message and try to live by what Hassidut teaches. They understand, as the story above illustrates, that people do not wake up in the morning for cash. They get that there is a reason why all those people work for the same company. They try to reveal what this reason is, define it as their collective purpose, and try to lead the business based on it (6). Research shows that not only does it help attract and retain talent, but it also creates economic benefits (6).
This might be worth having a look.
B’H’
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(1) Likutei Sihot, vol.3, p.1010.
(2) Lubavitcher Chumash, English version, Leviticus, p.208.
(3) https://www.gallup.com/workplace/356063/gallup-q12-employee-engagement-survey.aspx
(4) See Isaac Getz’ TED Talk:” liberer l’entreprise” (English subtitles available) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZUMzQDaw8)
(6) https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/power-of-purpose-list-impact-driven-companies.html
