The Three Faces of Work
How your Perspective Impacts Your Happiness
We’ve all experienced those workdays when time seems to crawl, and we can't wait for 5 o'clock to roll around. Distractions from home or anticipation for evening plans can make the day drag. But most of us can remember other days when we were so engaged that we barely noticed how time flew by. We looked up and knew we’d be late for dinner.
In his book “Happier, No Matter What”, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar discusses research by Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski that categorizes work perspectives into three main types (2021):
1. A Job: For some, work is just a way to earn money. It’s a means to an end, not a career path. Or it is tempomary solution such as a college student who is waiting tables at night to pay the bills.
2. A Career: Others are motivated by external rewards like promotions, higher pay, and status. Their drive comes from climbing the corporate ladder.
3. A calling: This group finds great meaning in their work. They see their daily work as part of a larger mission that is completely aligned to their values.
You might have heard about the fable of the three bricklayers, where upon inquiring what they did, one said they are laying stones, the next one said he was building a wall and the third one saw his work as building a church.
Dr. Wrzesniewski’s reveals that these perspectives can apply to any job, regardless of its status. She found janitors who viewed their work as essential to hospital operations, and doctors who saw their tasks as mundane. Interestingly, our view of work can shift daily between these categories.
Personally, I spent much of my career focused on climbing the ladder, valuing titles and roles over the work itself. My colleagues who saw their jobs as a calling were content with less prestigious roles and found satisfaction even in challenging economic times. Rather than “going back” I decided to embark on a completely new career with a purpose to help professionals working in corporate create more happiness in their lives.
Most jobs include elements of all three perspectives. Some days might feel like laying bricks, while others feel like building a wall or even a cathedral.
For example, in my past roles, I experienced various levels of fulfillment. Some days, I was fixing preventable annoying process issues; other days, I was improving processes to benefit customers; and sometimes, I was building the organization's foundation for long-term success.
A friend of mine, who has spent decades working in Human Resources sees these perspectives too. Some days she focused on reviewing policy to ensure people are in alignment, other times she helped managers to build high performing teams and occasionally she created an organization capable of achieving remarkable goals, such as finding a cure for cancer or expanding financial education.
What’s the prevailing perspective of your current work?
As I now know, finding purpose and meaning in work is crucial for happiness. Take some time to reflect. Is what you do today enough to keep you fulfilled, or is it time to make a change?
Notes:
Ben-Shahar, T. (May 11, 2021). Happier, no matter what: Cultivating hope, resilience, and purpose in hard times. The Experiment.