Sparking Joy at Work: Cultivating Purpose
We’ve previously explored finding joy through mental health, meaningful connections, and helping others. Today, let’s examine what ties all of these together: purpose. It is the enduring spark that fuels lasting satisfaction and engagement at work.
The Joy Framework: Purpose at the Center
Purpose doesn’t exist in isolation—it amplifies and is amplified by other sources of joy. When we reflect on previous themes in this series, it becomes clear how purpose weaves through them all:
In Sparking Joy at Work: Employee Mental Health and Well-Being, purpose acts as a stabilizing force. It offers clarity during uncertainty and helps individuals navigate stress and emotional challenges more effectively.
In Sparking Joy at Work: Creating Connections, shared purpose strengthens bonds between colleagues. When we understand and align with one another’s goals, collaboration becomes more meaningful and joyful.
In Sparking Joy at Work: Helping Others, purpose gives generosity direction. Acts of kindness and service become more fulfilling when they align with personal and collective values.
These themes form a powerful framework for sparking joy. At its core is a clear and deeply felt sense of purpose.
What Is Purpose at Work?
Purpose is the belief that your work matters—to you, to your team, and to the broader world. It’s the connection between what you do each day and the larger impact you want to have. Employees with a strong sense of purpose experience higher engagement, motivation, and resilience. McKinsey also highlights purpose as a key differentiator for retention and organizational performance.
When individuals align their work with personal values and strengths, joy becomes sustainable. Purpose becomes not a perk, but a practice.
In Make Work Healthy, the book I recently co-authored with John Ryan, purpose makes up the first of four broad pillars in our model. In ancient Greece, Socrates described eudaemonia (literally “human flourishing” - that is, “life purpose” or personal fulfilment) as being important for happiness and wellbeing. And there has been a strong research connection of purpose to organizational values, congruence, flow and gratitude.
The Feedback Loop: Purpose, Engagement, and Joy
Clarity of impact. Purpose gives employees a reason to care and a lens through which to measure progress.
Sustained momentum. Purposeful work fosters resilience, enabling people to navigate challenges without losing motivation.
Joy reinforces meaning. When people feel fulfilled, they deepen their investment and connection to their work.
Purpose not only fuels engagement, but creates a self-sustaining cycle of joy and performance.
How to Cultivate Purpose in the Workplace
Reconnect with Your “Why”
Reflect on what originally drew you to your role or organization. What moments have made you feel proud, energized, or deeply invested? Keeping those experiences top-of-mind helps reignite meaning.
Link Daily Tasks to Larger Goals
Even the most routine work carries impact. Ask yourself: Who benefits from this? How does it contribute to the mission? Teams can use short reflection prompts or end-of-week debriefs to surface connections.
Align Work with Strengths and Values
Purpose thrives where personal talents and passions intersect with business needs. Find opportunities to take on work that energizes you—whether it's leading a project, mentoring a colleague, or innovating a process.
Build Bridges Across Teams
Connection enhances purpose. Explore how your role supports others across the organization. Cross-functional collaboration can unlock new insights into your impact and renew a sense of meaning.
Celebrate Impact Regularly
Make recognition a habit. Share client success stories, highlight values-based behaviors, or invite team members to reflect on meaningful moments. Purpose is more visible when it’s acknowledged and celebrated.
The Role of Leadership
Leaders play a critical role in creating a culture where purpose thrives. They can:
Clarify the "why": Consistently connect team goals to organizational impact.
Model purpose-driven behavior: Demonstrate alignment between actions and values.
Facilitate reflection: Encourage conversations about what makes work meaningful.
Design for purpose: Create structures, like job rotations or stretch assignments, that help people explore and align their work with what matters most to them.
Overcoming Common Challenges
"My work doesn’t feel meaningful." Look for opportunities to connect with purpose beyond your core role. Volunteer for initiatives that align with your interests or mentor someone who could benefit from your experience.
"Our mission feels disconnected from reality." Bring purpose closer to home. Focus on how your work helps teammates, customers, or the community and share those stories often.
"Purpose feels too abstract." Start small. Reflect weekly on moments that felt energizing. Over time, patterns will emerge, helping you articulate and activate your personal purpose.
Why This Matters Now
In a workplace defined by rapid change, remote collaboration, and shifting expectations, purpose offers grounding. According to Gartner, employees now prioritize personal value and meaning at work more than ever. Organizations that meet this need aren’t just retaining talent—they're unlocking it.
Purpose is no longer a soft concept. It’s a strategic imperative. And it's one of the most sustainable sources of joy at work.
Try This to Help Cultivate Purpose at Work
Ask a teammate: “When did you feel most purposeful this week?”
In your next team meeting, take 10 minutes to share small moments of impact.
Reflect personally: What energizes you most? What work leaves you feeling fulfilled?
Purpose is the thread that ties together the many ways we experience joy at work. When we cultivate it intentionally, joy becomes more than a feeling. It becomes part of the fabric of how we work.
Need help finding purpose at work? Connect with me to schedule a 30-minute coaching chemistry session.