Find your calling: The purpose of doing your job

I remember engaging in a conversation with a hospital nurse asking her why she chose her profession. I was curious, believing that her job did not pay well. There was limited scope for career advancement, and the work is very taxing with odd hours.
These questions were on my mind but I didn’t question her. It would have demeaned and belittled her job, which was not my intention.
In hindsight, now I get it. The nurse was pursuing her calling. Her calling – that is, her purpose – was to provide care to patients with compassion and kindness irrespective of pay.
Purpose is what makes “10x leaders” tick every day (the letter “P” of the SHARP model*) and it is what separates them from average leaders.
Contrary to popular belief, purpose is not a goal. Purpose is bigger. Purpose re-frames all the tasks we do. It creates meaning, allowing us to see the point of commitment.
Companies, just like people, also need purpose.
University of California at Los Angeles Professor Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer for Procter and Gamble, conducted a study of the growth trends of 50,000 consumer brands worldwide. He was looking for patterns that could explain the success of the fastest-growing brands.
The findings came as a surprise: the world’s fastest-growing brands were “organised around ideals of improving people’s lives. These ideals were activated throughout their business ecosystems”.
The brands and businesses that outperformed the competition by a wide margin were those that were driven by purpose. So how do we create purpose for our leaders, managers and employees? The key components are meaning and commitment.
Companies should stop pushing targets and tasks down employees’ throats. Instead, they should make employees feel that their jobs are meaningful and garner their commitment.
I asked one of my team members to complete a spreadsheet. I explained to him that this information was of utmost importance. It would help save the company millions of baht. Suddenly, I could feel the energy in his voice. He knew right away that this simple task was meaningful and he gave it total commitment.
Some may say that this is impossible. Some jobs are less glamorous than others. Take mundane jobs like those of a supermarket cashier, bank teller or sales administrator, for example.
Well, let me surprise you. Researchers looked at how hospital janitors and doctors perceived their work: as a job, a career, or a calling. You would expect that doctors would have more meaning and janitors would think of their work as drudgery. But it was equal: there were just as many janitors who saw their work as a calling: they knew that clean floors saved lives, by preventing infection from spreading.
Work with purpose. It’s the making of a 10x leader. You will find fulfilment in your job and nothing else matters.
Until next time, stay SHARP!

Suvit Chansrichawla is next-generation HR consultant under the brand Serendipity & Co, a partner of the Curve Group in Thailand.
*The SHARP model was developed by ex-Harvard professor Tal Ben Shahar and his colleague Angus Ridgway, ex-McKinsey head of leadership development.