PinnedHow to Create Mattering at WorkLast month, the U.S. Surgeon General named “mattering at work” a top priority for improving mental health. The announcement reaffirms what we’ve known for many years: Mattering and well-being are inseparable, especially where humans spend 35% of their waking lives. The official call to prioritize mattering at work is the…Work8 min readWork8 min read
Sep 7, 2021Work as CommunityI can’t forget the smell, like the aftermath of banging two rocks together as a kid. This time, it was the reek of the driver’s side of my pickup scraping across the asphalt after it flipped. Pieces of glass sprayed my face and settled in my weekend slip-on shoes. The…Work4 min readWork4 min read
Mar 17, 2021To Become a Better Leader, Change the Way You See PeopleWhen my second son was born, he didn’t open his eyes. The nurse told us it was normal; some newborns take longer to part their eyelids. Through excited and exhausted anxiety, I believed her. But by the third day, we hadn’t looked into Jaxon’s distinct green eyes. …Leadership7 min readLeadership7 min read
Published in Curious·Jan 19, 2021The Art and Science of Noticing Others: How to Become Better at Making People Feel SeenConsider the people who comprise your routines. Who do you need to notice more? Noticing is the act of seeing someone’s uniqueness and showing an interest in their full life. Feeling noticed is the opposite of feeling invisible, the inverse of being forgotten. …Community5 min readCommunity5 min read
Published in The Startup·Aug 25, 2020Member-onlyFilling the ‘Meaning Deficit:’ Why Meaningful Work Will Be More Vital in a Post-COVID WorldAs people “return to work,” leaders should be ready to address a hidden issue: a meaning deficit. Historically, every significant disruption of how we work inflicted profound distress flamed by existential crises and the search for meaning. At the height of the second Industrial Revolution, in 1897, sociologist David Émile…Leadership7 min readLeadership7 min read
Jun 17, 2020The Science of Mattering: Why Feeling Significant Is So SignificantThink about the first time you realized you mattered. What happened? How did you feel? Chances are your moment of mattering impacted and moved you. Most likely, you felt important because of what someone else said or did. Feeling significant is a basic human desire and a critical factor for…Society6 min readSociety6 min read
Mar 16, 2020Finding Purpose in a PandemicI was in the parking lot at my kids’ daycare when I got the notification. I looked down at my phone, and nausea returned. The first word of the e-mail subject line read, “Canceled.” …Purpose5 min readPurpose5 min read
Feb 25, 2020Member-onlyIt’s Time to Stop Dehumanizing Frontline WorkersLast year, in an airport restroom, I saw a man crumple a paper towel and throw it toward a trash can attached to a janitor’s cleaning cart. It bounced off the rim and dropped to the floor, right next to the janitor’s boot. …Work4 min readWork4 min read
Published in The Startup·Sep 24, 2019Member-onlyHow to Connect Your People to Purpose and Why It’s VitalIf you’ve read the many workplace psychology studies and whitepapers published over the past decade, you probably know that a sense of purpose in work is important. Studies show that when people believe that their work matters, they’re four times more likely to be engaged, are more motivated, learn faster…Leadership7 min readLeadership7 min read
Published in Vunela·Aug 6, 2019Member-onlyEveryday Purpose: How to Find Meaning in the MundaneIf most of your day is spent doing mundane tasks, you’re not alone. Surveys find that almost 60 percent of the average person’s day is spent on routine details like paperwork, e-mail, informal conversations, or planning and being in meetings. For most U.S. …Work6 min readWork6 min read
