What it is,

how to find it

...and the messiness of real life

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Bloom Psychology:Meaning In Work

Rob Archer, Bloom Psychology

“I’m fighting a battle I can’t win”.

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“I feel my life’s going by in a blur”.

“I’m always distracted”

“I forget what it’s all meant to be about”

“I’m always worried I’ll get found out”

“I often get lost in my thoughts”

The amount of information we process daily has

doubled in the past 20 years

Distracted...

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Disengaged...

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Distressed

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Distracted, disengaged, distressed....

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Mindfulness

Meaning

Movement

Meaning

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What exactly is meaning?

Meaning

Eric Klinger

Eric Klinger

All animals evolved to pursue goals

The role of cognition is to understand the world around us

Emotions are a call to action

Our brains evolved to help us meet goals.

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Meaning = comprehension

2020

Meaning = comprehension

?

apple

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Give me a bite of your

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I am ‘me’

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‘Meaning is a matter of human understanding regardless of whether

it’s the meaning of a word in a sentence or the meaning of our

lives’

Klinger 1998.

Do I understand this task?

Do I understand myself in this

context?

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“Humans have a drive to coherence”

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Evidence

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How to Increase Meaning in Work

Meaning in work

Use of strengths at work

Hypothesis 1: Use of strengths will predict meaning

Transcendent

Meaning in work

Use of strengths at work

Hypothesis 2: Transcendent purpose

will predict meaning

PurposeSelf

Transcendent

Meaning in work

Use of strengths at work

Hypothesis 3: Work role fit will predict

meaning

PurposeSelf

Work role fit

Transcendent

Meaning in work

Use of strengths at work

PurposeSelf

Work role fit

70%

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Evidence

Meaning in organisations

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• Competencies

• Time management

• Extrinsic Rewards

• Talent mgt

• Employee Engagement

• Shareholder value

• Growth

• Compliance

• Work stressors / OD

• Targets / enforcement

• Work / life balance

Current Focus

• Strengths

• Attention mgt

• Intrinsic motivation

• Develop all

• Transcendent purpose

• Stakeholder value

• Sustainability

• Autonomy

• Psychological flexibility

• Commitments / Trust

• Energy mgt

Meaning Focus

Strengths-based approach

Develop narratives

Promote context

Help with the messiness...

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Away from / avoiding

Towards / experiencing

The Messiness of Real Life

Experiential avoidance

Willingness

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Job performance (Donaldson & Bunce, 2004).

Attention and focus (Davidson et al., 2003).

Mental health (Flaxman & Bond, in press).

Psychological Flexibility…

Helping people to move in the direction of their values, instead of trying to control their thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness

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“Optimal performance depends on the ability to enhance our focus on task-relevant behaviors

whilst feeling negative emotions.”

Professor Zella Moore, The Psychology of Enhancing Human Performance

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By helping to shift the odds that people will make healthier decisions at work, we help to realise significant benefits for both individuals and the organisation:

•Greater focus and productivity

•Fewer sick days,

•Greater engagement at work,

•Less stress,

•Better resilience,

•Better teamwork and

•Greater enjoyment of our working lives

Benefits

In addition to the benefits of the course, we work with organisations to help them identify ways in which behavioural psychology can be used more widely in the organisation, to ‘nudge’ people to make healthier decisions.

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Thank you

Global Warming: What Next?

Questions for Discussion

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Individual Meaning1.What aspects of your job do you feel most passionate about?

2.How does your role contribute to the greater good of society?

3.How would you want your friends and colleagues to describe you at your retirement party?

Organisational Meaning

1. What would the world lose if your organisation did not exist?

2. Is there a difference between your organisation’s ‘lived’ values and its aspired values? What would bring them closer?

3. To what extent does your organisation help people identify their purpose and link this to the organisation’s?

References

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All the information in this presentation has some kind of factual evidence behind it – this list keeps me honest!

•Brain Rules – Dr John Medina

•The Conference Board (2010). I Can’t Get No..Job Satisfaction: America’s Unhappy Workers

•Sapolsky, R., (2009). Why zebras don’t get Ulcers

•Bains , G., et al (2008). Meaning Inc.

•The Institute of the Future, California (2009). Information Overload. http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis479/projects/FISA.html

•Crenshaw, B., (2008). The Myth of Multitasking: How Doing it All Gets Nothing Done.

•Customer Engagement (2009). Customer Engagement. What’s Your Engagement Ratio?

•Workplace Stress (2007). Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/c07021.htm

•Ratey, J., (2009). Spark! The Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain

•Klinger, E., (2005).The Human Quest for Meaning

•Avolio and Luthans (2005). The High Impact Leader.

•Moore, Z., (2007). The Psychology of Enhancing Human Performance

•Wegner, D., & Wenlaff, R., (2000). Thought Suppression. Annual Review of Psychology.

•Hayes, S. Bond, F. Barnes-Holmes, D., & Austin, J. (2007). Acceptance And Mindfulness at Work

•Kashdon, T., (2010). Personal Communication

Useful Links(watch this in presentation mode to activate links)

• Bloom Training Courses:

• Work Effectiveness –meaning and mindfulness in the workplace

• Resilience course –skills to move in a more valued direction

• Presentation outlining the effectiveness of mindfulness in the workplace

• Bloom Blog (useful links plus my ramblings)

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Other Useful Articles and Links•Valued Living Questionnaire

•Reshape Your Job – Time Magazine

•The Meaning in Life – Definitely Sweat The Small Stuff

•Leading with Purpose

•Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Workplace

Bloom Psychology Links