Success reimagined at work

What does it mean to be successful? This elusive concept of success in one’s career is an age-old question that differs from person to person, spanning across working generations. Conventional wisdom tells us that having a job at a good company, with deep pockets and a nice job title would suggest that we’ve hit the jackpot. However much like ogres, onions and parfait, there are many layers beneath the surface.In 2021, Gallup recorded that globally, only 20% of employees are engaged while at work, and with recent events and the after/effects of a pandemic, employee engagement is now becoming more important than ever [Gallup]. I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers - I’m new to the game compared to some, but I’m a humble traveller sharing conversations about work life collected in my travels.

It’s a matter of needs.

Ok, hear me out. Back in the 1940s, psychologist Abraham Maslow began exploring the concept of what motivates people to do what they do. He popularised an idea that in our search to attain happiness, peoples’ needs can be broken down into 5 broad groups that drive human behaviour, called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs [Verywell]. Whilst it’s difficult to arbitrarily group all one’s needs into 5 categories, it does give a good baseline indication of what makes people tick, summarised in the graphic below.

Needs such as sustenance, health, wellness and having the financial security of a salary and a job might fall into the Physiological and Safety categories. Meanwhile, social needs such as relationships and community might fall into the Love/Belonging category of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In the same vein, respect, appreciation and fulfilling your potential might fall into the Esteem and Self-Actualisation categories.

Whilst the financial aspect is obviously of great importance to most of us, the crux of the matter is that there are still 3 other categories of needs to be fulfilled when we think about work. So why are so many of us trapped in a cycle of chasing the financial carrot when it’s just one piece of the pie that motivates us?

I have the need for speed self-actualisation.

If we accept that salary and job title are important but only part of a more complex pie, let’s look at what might make up the rest of the pie as I’ve illustrated below.

In your current role, consider the following facets of your job.

• How much do you enjoy what you do?
• Are you working at a sustainable pace day-to-day?
• How much free time do you have after work?
• Do you have time to also work on your physical health?
• Does your job have a positive social impact?
• How much do you contribute to an overall purpose?

All of these additional aspects contribute to the overall pie that encapsulates your experience at work. Many of these aspects, funnily enough, fall nicely into the Esteem and Self-Actualisation categories of Maslow’s Hierarchy. It seems like more and more of what makes us human, including being curious, needing to grow, forming relationships, being able to be your authentic self at work drives what we consider success in the workplace a lot more than was once thought. Perhaps finding success in the workplace is more about reflecting this human experience as possible in the workplace, and considering satisfying all facets of the success pie (and pyramid!).

Let’s touch on purpose.

So, on top of making sure that we can cater to our own individual needs at work, how about the needs of others beyond ourselves? There’s a famous story about when President John F. Kennedy visited NASA in the 60’s. When he passed by a janitor in the hallway and asked what he did for work at NASA, the janitor replied with, “I’m helping put a man on the moon” [From the Green Notebook]. The janitor understood his contribution to a shared goal and felt connected to a collective (interstellar) purpose. This particular anecdote is just one example that highlights the importance of the age-old question that humans have had for generations - What is our purpose?

Now, not all of us are so fortunate to be able to work on spaceships, but any task, when viewed in isolation, might seem tedious. However, with a collectivist lens it can be considered meaningful and worth doing when it contributes to an overall purpose. All those responsibilities, deadlines and meetings that we oftentimes experience on a day-to-day basis have a whole new light to them when there’s a common goal/collective mission in sight. Not to mention if what you’re working on has a social impact and benefits society as a whole. Some of the most engaging and rewarding work I’ve done in recent memory has been working on products that have a tangible impact on the local community touching the lives of others. So the next time you get stuck in a rut on a task or project, ask yourself - What’s this all contributing to and what’s the overall purpose of this work? It may just lessen the tedium.

The definition of your own success

I’m of the opinion that it’s up to you how you define your career success. Not your neighbour across the street or that nosy classmate, just you and you only. People on the outside may be quick to make assumptions, but only you are the expert on your own journey and experiences.

Besides, everyone’s definition of ‘success’ is subjective anyway and in my mind it’s much more important to enjoy what you do. And, whilst doing it be able to thrive as a human being.