Expert shares wish list for how to make meaningful work flourish

To make meaningful work the norm in society three things would need to happen: a shift in worldview, creating the workplace context and having stakeholders co-create more consciously.

These are what Jeff Klein, author of Working for Good and CEO of Cause Alliance Marketing, says would make meaningful work flourish in society.

The first requirement is a shift in people’s perspective of work to a prevailing worldview that work is essential to fulfilling one’s potential, says Klein.

Secondly, entrepreneurs and managers would create the context for meaningful work. The leaders would have an understanding that employees care about work and have the capacity to be completely engaged and bring their intelligence, creativity, passion and energy to the workplace.

Entrepreneurs and managers would have the role of facilitating the design of structures and culture to activate that capacity by the way that they relate to their team members and employees, Klein says.

The third thing that would need to happen is the whole system of stakeholders, including team members, employees, vendors, communities and investors recognize that “any business and the whole marketplace is really a collaborative, co-created experience.”

These stakeholders would enter into co-creation more consciously and with the recognition that people can be purposefully engaged to create a business, an ecosystem of businesses and an overall marketplace that serves the highest aspirations.

He says this includes purposely approaching where one wants to work, buy, invest, and start a business, as well as clear recognition that the choices made are profound and really matter.

This means that “we can say to each other through the marketplace or our choices, ‘Hey, we want to create a different kind of world and we are going to do it in the context of our work,’” says Klein.

To learn more about Klein and his recently released book, visit www.workingforgood.com.

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