Daily Buzz: The Value of Meaningful Work

How much does the meaning of work matter to employees—and how does meaning compare to money? In a world where money talks, Americans said they would be willing to forgo 23 percent of their  future lifetime earnings if it meant they had a job that was always meaningful, according to research from Harvard Business Review  (opens in a new tab).

Employees who find work meaningful also experience greater job satisfaction, which can translate to increased productivity—about $9,078 per worker, says HBR.

Unfortunately, many organizations fall short in providing meaningful work that motivates employees. The researchers suggest the following to change that:

Improve social support networks that create a collective purpose.

Make all roles positions of knowledge, which can boost an employee’s engagement.

Leverage employees who find higher levels of meaning to increase valued work throughout the organization.

Making Meetings Experiential

Incorporating “experiential elements” into an event’s program – what does that even mean and what do #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) need to consider? https://t.co/0OrER7mHFA  (opens in a new tab)

— Converia (@converia_de) November 7, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

The number of attendees at a meeting is not the only measure of success. “We want the people who make the time and effort to join us to walk away with value from that experience,” says Carina Bauer in a post on MeetingsNet  (opens in a new tab). “The goal is that they’ve learned something new, built their network, taken away tangible ideas to grow their business or organization, and had a memorable time, which they will tell others about.”

To achieve those goals, planners are working to make their meetings more experiential. “Adding experiential elements doesn’t have to mean a big effort or a big budget,” Bauer says. “It’s about participants literally and figuratively getting up out of their chairs, getting involved, and interacting. This could mean that instead of just demonstrating a product on a big screen, attendees visit a ‘test-drive’ area or ‘sandbox,’ where they try it out for themselves.”

Other Links of Note

Hosting a meeting with both in-person and remote participants? Here are eight etiquette tips for in-person attendees  (opens in a new tab), from the Wild Apricot blog.

After you’ve made an audience persona, what happens next? Nonprofit Marketing Guide explains  (opens in a new tab).

Improve your organization’s culture with small, thoughtful gestures  (opens in a new tab), says Forbes.

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