From the Gospel according to John
6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
Gospel @ Work
A person’s hunger for the Bread of Life, can be akin to a search for meaning in a work place. As man cannot live by bread alone, he cannot be fully happy by mere material rewards. There must be meaning to what he does and looking forward for something beyond to be able to sustain working. This is manifested by the reasons of resignation: Lack of career growth, Poor Management and Cultural Misalignment. All of these are not due to compensation and benefits, but for something a worker is looking for. How can these be addressed?
For employer, the engagement team should always imbibe a deep sense of purpose of the organization. These can be shown by going beyond slogans. A compelling purpose statement must consistently communicated. Example: Banking the ‘unbank’ within the boundaries of protecting environment driving customer loyalty and employee engagement. Likewise, there must be strategic filter: every initiative, product and partnership. The key performance indicators and performance reviews to purpose-driven goals. leaders must model purpose-driven behavior in decision making, especially under pressure. Embedding into the culture is another way: celebrate employees who embody organization values. Reinforce purpose through stories, rituals and recognition. Lastly, show the employees contribution to the larger mission.
For an individual employee, finding a sense of purpose in their work is less about waiting for the company to provide it, and more about actively connecting their daily tasks to something bigger. One way to do it is to connect tasks to impact. Ask: “Who benefits from the work I do?” Example: A data analyst might see their reports as enabling leaders to make better decisions that affect thousands of customers.
Another action can be taken is to identify personal values. Reflect on what matters most: innovation, service, stability, creativity, inclusion. Align the values with the roles. Example: If you value learning, frame your job as a platform for continuous growth. Beyond Key Performance Indicators, set personal goals that resonates with values. Furthermore, volunteer for initiatives that align with values. The most recent ones are sustainability, inclusion and innovation. Lastly, re-frame routine works. Example is that, instead of seeing tasks as “just admin”, re-frame them as enabling other to succeed. Purpose often comes from perspective, not just the task itself.
Overall, it is human that a person does not live on bread alone. But, it is more human that in creating something, it will have its meaningful purpose.