Meaning At Work

HR consultant Tom Terez has a vision of what people want at work. He calls it "the meaningful workplace," and he's spent the past few years studying the subject through focus groups, interviews and other research. "When people find meaning [at work]," says Terez, "...bottom-line issues like productivity, efficiency, and performance all take care of themselves. It's that simple." The results of his efforts, codified as "The 22 Meaning Keys," are laid out in this interesting, creative and entertaining Web site. Terez points to concepts like Purpose, Fit, Ownership, Oneness and others as the keys to a meaningful work life. Check out his descriptions of the 22 Keys (plus examples and action ideas) under "Key Findings." Then measure your company's performance on each one — or assess how important they are to you personally — under "Tools." Terez has also included three case studies of companies at "the front lines of change" from his 1990 book Managing Change in the 1990s.
Originally reviewed in Harvard Management Update's "Web Sites for Managers."