Purpose and passion at work. Really?
If you work in a field that tries to help people and organizations work and live in more purposeful ways, if you spend your energy trying to help people find and connect to passion in their work, then I’m sure you frequently come across an obstacle I know too well — cynicism about whether this is possible, necessary, or useful.
You’ll have seen this cynicism show up in several forms.
Sometimes it wears the costume of ‘serious business dude’ who loves to harumph about serious business things and preach to us all about “the real world”.
Sometimes it appears as ‘beaten-down employee’ — the person who came to work earnest and eager to make a difference and whose nose has been bloodied once too often by walking into the corporate wall.
Sometimes it shows up as ‘grizzled veteran’ full of piss and vinegar who wants to get the job done, go home, and not be bothered by these newfangled high-falutin ideas.
You’ll likely have seen other forms too. Cynicism, after all, is cheap and easy. It doesn’t take much thought, creativity, or effort to manufacture and so you find a great many varieties of this low-rent commodity.
I’ve written about this phenomenon before and should you wish to read what I’ve already written, you can find my typical verbose commentary here and my uncharacteristically non-verbose version here.
Usually, the cynicism, the challenges, and the objections come from beyond the walls of our well-protected purpose domain. You know what I mean. Our castle of conformity comprised of purpose practitioners standing on the parapets looking down with kindly contempt at the unpurposed masses below, while preaching to each other and reveling in each “Amen!” as if it were anything but guaranteed.
But once in a while a challenge emerges from within. And those are the ones I find most interesting.
I recently read an article by a thinker and leader I deeply respect — Kim Scott, the author of Radical Candor. If you haven’t read her book, I highly recommend that you do.
In this article, Kim asserts…
“You don’t have to be passionate about your job. The folks who work for you don’t have to be passionate about their jobs either.”
It’s not that she is opposed to passion. And it’s not that she doesn’t believe passion leads to better work. It’s just that she believes…
“bosses who take this to mean that it is their job to provide purpose tend to overstep”.
Kim argues that not all jobs will be meaningful and that that’s ok. She writes
“there’s nothing wrong with working hard to earn a paycheck that supports the life you want to lead. That has plenty of meaning.”
I agree.
And yet, I think we can advance a better argument for purpose and passion at work.
But first, a bit more context on Kim’s article. You can see what she’s pushing against quite clearly in her article — and by reading a bit between the lines.
“…it’s unrealistic for companies and managers to demand passion for a position as a job requirement.”
“Insisting that people be passionate about their jobs can place unnecessary pressure on both boss and employee.”
(emphasis is mine)
Kim Scott’s career from what I can tell in her bio has been spent mostly in Silicon Valley — where she currently lives. So I totally get what she’s reacting to. Silicon Valley, as you might know, is the epicenter of toxic positivity and naïve optimism. The, mostly, tech companies that make their homes there are often founded by young people who feel unconstrained and unmotivated by the status quo and thrive on inventing and marketing technologies that catalyze real change. And they hire people like them. People who find it personally rewarding to change the world and to invest their every action with intergalactic significance.
With that context in mind, I repeat my passionate agreement (no pun intended) with Kim’s thesis.
Passion ought not be demanded.
Not only because, by its very nature, it only emerges from within and simply cannot be conjured by demand. But also, because even if it could, it would be counter-productive. Insisting and demanding are not helpful leadership methods. Even if they can spur positive outcomes (and I take no position here on that), they invariably leave scars — they create stress where none is needed, they erode trust, and they cause people to doubt themselves.
If Kim wrote that article to combat toxic positivity, I stand shoulder to shoulder with her in that fight. But I think we can pursue passion and purpose at work (and at home) in better ways.
Here’s how I see it.
Ideally, we will all spend our lives (in and out of work) in pursuit of something we find meaningful. Something about which we are passionate. Why wouldn’t you want that? The time will pass anyway. Your effort will be expended anyway. Why wouldn’t you want to spend your time and energy in pursuit of something you find meaningful?
And why wouldn’t industry and society want to facilitate that?
If that makes sense to you, then why not pursue career opportunities that help you live your purpose? I am not suggesting you find your purpose at work. I am not saying that it is a leader’s or a company’s responsibility to provide you with purpose. I am saying that when you are passionate about something, why not pursue career opportunities that allow you to earn your living in pursuit of your passion?
Now please do not equate purpose with saving the whales. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re passionate about. Not every purpose has to be — or feel — that lofty. The world moves ahead much more on the cumulative set of small actions by unknown heroes than it does on the seemingly world-changing moves of the rich and famous.
And even the pursuit of saving the whales likely involves a great deal of boring, tedious, uncomfortable work. (Note: I have never saved a whale or even attempted to do so.) Pursuing passion and purpose does not mean life is a never-ending parade of cotton candy and rainbows. Work is often hard and tedious. But this only makes the argument for purpose and passion more poignant. If you’re going to spend some time emptying garbage cans, for example, wouldn’t you rather do that in a place that lights your fire? For me it would likely be a brewery. For others, a school. Or a stadium. Or a whale-saving facility. Remember the distinction between the what and the why. Even when the what is tedious or awful, the why can be glorious and noble.
I know, I know. You’re going to tell me about privilege. Sorry. I’m not buying it. Sure, getting a sexy role at a sexy company requires privilege. And yes, it is easy for me to advocate for purpose from where I sit. But I find it sneeringly elitist to argue that low-paying jobs cannot be perceived as meaningful by those who work at them.
And if purpose and passion at work do require privilege, isn’t that privilege something we should dedicate ourselves to spreading more broadly rather than dismissing it as the province of a tiny elite?
Let me end where I began.
Yes, we should have purpose and passion at work. No, that does not mean it should be forced down your throat.
Yes, you should look for jobs, roles, companies wherein you will have the opportunity to pursue your purpose and passion. No, you should not feel bad if at times you don’t find it.
Yes, companies should have and live a purpose. No, it is not a company’s responsibility to give you meaning in life — and hopefully you aren’t that easy!
Yes, at times we will not find what we seek. No, that does not mean we should stop seeking.
