In the aftermath of World War II, Viktor E. Frankl, psychologist, wrote of his experiences in the concentration camps.  His little book was published in Austria under the title Ein Psycholog Erlebt Das Konzentrationslager (“A psychologist experiences the concentration camp”) and subsequently, in English as Man’s Search for Meaning.  If you haven’t read it yet, you’re not too late.  It’s still readily available.

I was reminded of it recently when my friend Kenny Tranquille sent me a link to a six-minute clip of Dan Ariely, author of The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home.  In the clip, entitled The Meaning of Labor, Ariely describes the disappointment of a young man who has worked for three weeks to prepare documentation for a merger, only to be told, simply, that the merger is off.

Ariely goes on to describe an intriguing experiment which explores people’s motivation and productivity at work.  As Ariely himself highlights, the tasks allocated are not deeply imbued with meaning – the subjects are using Lego to build small figures.  Even so, small changes in the conditions of the experiment which reduce meaning for participants, have a big impact on both motivation and behaviour.

Ariely points to two conclusions.  Firstly, he says, we need to think about how to create more meaning at work.  Like Frankl, Ariely recognises that people are naturally inclined to make meaning.  Secondly, he suggests we need to take care not to choke this tendency by our activities as leaders.  He finishes his brief talk with some suggestions for the manager of his young friend.

It’s an intriguing clip – no doubt an invitation to buy his book.  Just six minutes long, it’s worth watching and reflecting on before getting down to the business of the day.  Perhaps a question to reflect on after watching is this:  to what extent, as a line manager, are you invested in helping your staff to find meaning in their work?