THE WHY OF WORK
those strengths to create value for external stakeholders. At both personal and organizational levels, the meaning we find from our strengths deepens as we not only build on our strengths but build on strengths that strengthen others too. PRINCIPLE
1 Abundant organizations build on strengths (capabilities in an organization) that strengthen others.
2. Where Am I Going? (Purpose and Motivation) Abundance emerges from a clear sense of what we are trying to accomplish and why. Too often employees’ and employers’ goals are at cross-purposes, resulting in both individual frustration and organizational underperformance due to employee cynicism and lack of perceived corporate vision. As McKell and his team worked through the paradoxical goals of trust, efficiency, and citizenship, they created a sense of corporate purpose that helped employees fulfill their personal purposes through their work at the bank. Employees who can meet their personal goals at work remain motivated and engaged; those who can’t, go in a different direction, physically or emotionally. Chapter 4 offers suggestions for how leaders create purposeful organizations that help employees’ personal ambitions match organizational goals. When our personal goals align with the organization’s goals, work feels like a meaningful extension of our private journey. As we both own and personalize our company’s mission, we find opportunities to impact broad societal problems we care about. Social responsibility and environmental activism are fields that speak to the importance of addressing society’s biggest 38