Ever since learning that a movie was being made about J. Robert Oppenheimer and The Manhattan Project, I have been waiting for it to come to movie theaters, curious to see how the man and his work would be portrayed. In my first book, Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity, and Productivity, I had written about a particular angle of The Manhattan Project in reference to an element that teams need in order to function well. 

Opening weekend came, my wife and I bought tickets, and we settled into the comfy chairs (with foot rests!). Three hours later, the closing credits began to roll. Debriefing as we drove home, after “that was intense” and “it was really well done,” we ventured into interesting conversations on a host of topics that the movie raised. 

Given the popularity of “Oppenheimer,” I thought you might enjoy the inspiring story below, excerpted from Fired Up or Burned Out, as, to my surprise, a piece of it was not included in the movie. Regardless of your personal feelings about the development and use of the atomic bomb, this bit of history is one clear example of the power in helping people find meaning in their work.

Inspire with Identity

In Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman’s insightful book Organizing Genius, they tell the story of America’s race to make an atomic bomb before the Nazis during World War II. The Manhattan Project, as it was called, represented one of the most challenging and significant scientific accomplishments in history.

The story began in 1939 when Albert Einstein learned from three Hungarian physicists who had defected to America that the Nazis were trying to build an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt warning him that he believed the Nazis might find a way to do it. Within days of receiving Einstein’s letter, FDR established an advisory committee to investigate using atomic energy for national defense.

During 1941 and 1942, research was conducted at four universities: Columbia, Princeton, University of California at Berkeley, and Chicago. By mid-1942, the project had become the number-one defense priority with a $2 billion budget. In the fall, soon-to-be Brigadier General Leslie Groves was appointed to head the project following his stint building the Pentagon. Groves, a 250- to 300-pound crusty veteran career officer, began to pull together the people and the resources to make it happen.

On December 2, 1942, a team led by Enrico Fermi, a brilliant physicist, successfully created a self-sustaining nuclear reaction in an unused squash court under the University of Chicago’s football stadium. It was a pivotal moment that meant the project could shift to producing an atomic bomb since the concept had been proven.

General Groves identified a tall, gangly thirty-eight-year-old quantum physicist at Cal Tech, J. Robert Oppenheimer, to be the technical leader of the scientists and engineers. Although military intelligence officials objected to Oppenheimer because of his Communist Party connections, General Groves insisted that he was the best person for the job. Refusing to back down, the persistent Groves got Oppenheimer approved.

One scientist on the project was a young genius from Princeton named Richard Feynman who was to supervise technicians supporting the project. For security reasons, the army did not want the technicians to know the purpose of the project. As a result, it was difficult for them to put their hearts into their work. Their productivity was lackluster, and the quality of their work was disappointing. Feynman asked Oppenheimer to let him inform the technicians about the project’s purpose. His request approved, Feynman explained to the technicians what they were working on, its importance to the war effort, and the value of their contribution to the overall project.

After the technicians understood the meaning of their work, Feynman said he witnessed:

Complete transformation! They began to invent ways of doing it better. They improved the scheme. They worked at night. They didn’t need supervising in the night; they didn’t need anything. They understood everything; they invented several of the programs that we used . . . my boys really came through, and all that had to be done was to tell them what it was, that’s all. As a result, although it took them nine months to do three problems before, we did nine problems in three months, which is nearly ten times as fast.

The technicians’ improved productivity and innovation helped the Allies beat Hitler in the race to make an atomic bomb. On the morning of July 16, 1945, the Manhattan Project team watched as the first atomic bomb was exploded in the New Mexico desert. Their efforts gave the Allies a decisive edge in the war. 

Photo of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Ernest Lawrence (courtesy the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) via the U.S. Department of Energy – Office of History and Heritage Resources

The post Missing from the Oppenheimer Movie: The Connection Catalyst appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

Vision represents the cultural element of inspiring identity. As the following story illustrates, inspiring identity is a crucial factor in team performance and can help organizations overcome tremendous obstacles.

Inspiring Identity and the Manhattan Project

In Warren Bennis and Patricia Biederman’s insightful book Organizing Genius, they tell the story of America’s race to make an atomic bomb before the Nazis during World War II. The Manhattan Project, as it was called, represented one of the most challenging and significant scientific accomplishments in history.

The story began in 1939 when Albert Einstein learned from three Hungarian physicists who had defected to America that the Nazis were trying to build an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt warning him that he believed the Nazis might find a way to do it. Within days of receiving Einstein’s letter, FDR established an advisory committee to investigate using atomic energy for national defense.

During 1941 and 1942, research was conducted at four universities: Columbia, Princeton, Berkeley, and Chicago. By mid-1942, the project had become the number one defense priority with a $2 billion budget. In the fall, soon-to-be Brigadier General Leslie Groves was appointed to head the project following his stint building the Pentagon. General Groves, a 250- to 300-pound crusty veteran career officer, began to pull together the people and the resources to make it happen.

On December 2, 1942, a team led by Enrico Fermi, a brilliant physicist, successfully created a self-sustaining nuclear reaction in an unused squash court under the University of Chicago’s football stadium. It was a pivotal moment that meant the project could shift to producing an atomic bomb since the concept had been proven.

One scientist on the project was a young genius from Princeton named Richard Feynman who was to supervise technicians supporting the project. For security reasons, the army did not want the technicians to know the purpose of the project. As a result, it was difficult for them to put their hearts into their work. Their productivity was lackluster, and the quality of their work was disappointing. Feynman asked Robert Oppenheimer, the technical leader of the scientists and engineers working on the project, to let him inform the technicians about the project’s purpose. His request approved, Feynman explained to the technicians what they were working on, its importance to the war effort, and the value of their contribution to the overall project.

After the technicians understood the meaning of their work, Feynman said he witnessed:

Complete transformation! They began to invent ways of doing it better. They improved the scheme. They worked at night. They didn’t need supervising in the night; they didn’t need anything. They understood everything; they invented several of the programs that we used . . . my boys really came through, and all that had to be done was to tell them what it was, that’s all. As a result, although it took them nine months to do three problems before, we did nine problems in three months, which is nearly ten times as fast.

The technicians’ improved productivity and innovation helped the Allies beat Hitler in the race to make an atomic bomb. On the morning of July 16, 1945, the Manhattan Project team watched as the first atomic bomb was exploded in the New Mexico desert. Their efforts gave the Allies a decisive edge in the war. Regardless of your personal feelings about the development and use of the atomic bomb, this bit of history is one clear example of the power in helping people find meaning in their work.

The Organization’s Story is my Story

Each one of us has a personal identity, in other words, how we think about ourselves. This internal identity is shaped by a host of factors, such as birthplace, rearing, schools, and the people and events in our lives that influenced our beliefs and our aspirations. Our identities are expressed externally in where we work, what organizations we belong to (other than work), what we wear, what we drive, where we live, and so on. Identity influences almost everything we do. Savvy marketers understand this and shape brands to appeal to how we like to think of ourselves.

Organizations have identities too. I like to think of identity as the story of an individual or organization. Some stories, such as those of the Marine Corps, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Apple Computer, provide tremendous inspiration to the people who are a part of them and who, through their words and deeds, continue to write new chapters in the identity story of their organizations.

To be effective, it’s necessary to go beyond task thinking and transform the way people think about the organization. The inspiring identity of an organization helps to satisfy the sense of purpose, significance, and pride we all crave. Unless you inspire people, you have not added this element to the work environment. And absent inspiration that fires them up, people just show up for duty.

This article has been adapted from the book Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity. 

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Enthusiasm and energy will be on full display this Saturday as the #6 TCU Horned Frogs football team host the #7 Kansas State Wildcats at 6:30 pm EDT on Fox.  During halftime, TCU will celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Frogs for the Cure” which began in 2005 when TCU athletics partnered with Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth to sponsor the first ever pink-out halftime presentation at a university football game.

Frogs for the Cure began the national trend to honor survivors that is now commonplace on collegiate and professional athletic fields during Breast Cancer Awareness month. The group’s mission is to promote awareness, provide education, raise funds ($250,000 in this decade) and support survivors and their families.  Under the dedicated and tireless leadership of Ann Louden, Chancellor’s Associate for Strategic Partnerships and a cancer survivor, Frogs for the Cure’s planning committee has grown to more than 300 volunteers including students, staff and faculty, community leaders, and members of the medical community who come together as to organize year-round activities.

The highlight of each year’s Frogs for the Cure halftime show is the special music video that plays on the stadium’s jumbo screens. First created in 2010, the video combined inspirational music and footage of hundreds of survivors and supporters. With each subsequent year, the music video has gotten more elaborate. A natural connector, Ann Louden uses the video to bring together local cancer survivors with students from co-curricular groups and athletic teams on campus, TCU faculty and staff members, alumni, and local government leaders including Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. Even Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, took part one year. In recent years, thousands of people have participated in the videos.

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Frogs for the Cure, the 2014 music video featured Josh Groban’s recording of “Brave” and included scenes shot on TCU’s campus, as well as in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. Laura Bush endorsed the video and it was debuted at a concert by Bernadette Peters.  Survivors who take part in the filming or go onto the football field for the halftime show report that it is a life-affirming experience that helps them heal. (Check out the video and share it to help TCU raise funds for breast cancer research).

What TCU created is extraordinary and has a powerful positive effect on campus and in the greater Fort Worth community.  “Meeting survivors and listening to Josh Groban’s inspiring song brought me closer to my friends, my peers, and my community, allowing me to feel like I was contributing to a school-wide effort to find the cure” stated Tori Irons, a junior business major from Austin, Texas.

Frogs for the Cure is an excellent example of how to tap into the power of purpose that increases the enthusiasm and energy among a group of people.  When the people in an organization come together to serve a cause greater than themselves, they experience what researchers have described as “helpers’ high.” In this state the brain’s reward system is stimulated, resulting in the release of the neurotransmitters oxytocin and vasopressin that make people feel more enthusiastic, energetic, connected and committed to the group.

Here are three ways your organization can unleash the enthusiasm and energy of employees by tapping into the power of purpose.

1. Find a cause for your company to support.

Ideally, find a local cause to support like TCU did with Susan G. Komen® Greater Fort Worth.  If your organization has a broad geographic footprint, find a cause that fits well with your geographic presence or consider starting a charitable organization. For example, McDonald’s Corporation’s created Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, an organization that helps nine million families with children going through medical treatment in 67 countries and regions of the world.

2. Volunteer as a team building exercise

Set aside a time for your team to come together and volunteer to help out at a local charitable organization.  When your team experiences helpers’ high, it will boost collaboration and cooperation.

3. Give employees time off to volunteer at a local charitable organization       

As employees accrue time working for your organization, give them the option to take paid time off to volunteer at a local charity.  Try to align the employee’s skills with the needs of the charitable organization.  For example, if they need marketing help, send a team of marketing experts from your organization.

When organizations give back, employees experience greater enthusiasm and energy. It is a win-win for employees, businesses and the communities in which they reside.

Related Links:

3 Ways to Improve Your Health and Lifespan Through Work

7 Best Practices to Boost Employee Engagement

6 Needs to Thrive at Work

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In most communities, January through April is the time of year when the girls in green are out in full force selling Girl Scout cookies. Can you imagine a world without Thin Mints^®, Tagalongs^® and Do-si-dos^®?  Sadly, they were once at risk.

There was a time in the mid-1970s when the Girl Scouts were struggling and their future looked uncertain. Fortunately, Frances Hesselbein came to the rescue. Although she had no daughters, Mrs. Hesselbein had begun her association with the Girl Scouts when she agreed to help with a troop of 30 girls in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that had lost its leader. It wasn’t long before Hesselbein’s experience with Troop 17 developed into a lifelong commitment to Girl Scouting. In 1976 she became CEO of the national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA.

With membership falling, and the organization in a state of serious decline, Mrs. Hesselbein put sound management practices in place. During her twenty-four-year tenure, Girl Scout membership quadrupled to nearly three and a half million, diversity more than tripled, and the organization was transformed into what Peter Drucker described as “the best-managed organization around.” Hesselbein accomplished the amazing turnaround with a paid staff of 6,000 and 730,000 volunteers.

Here are three practices that helped Frances Hesselbein put the Girls Scouts on a track for success.

1. Create an “Inspiring Identity”

Hesselbein gave the Girl Scouts an inspiring identity by showing women how important it was to reach out to girls, given the threats they face such as drugs and teen pregnancy. She helped women to envision the Girl Scout organization as a professional, well-managed organization that carried out this important work.

2. Promote “Human Value”

Mrs. Hesselbein’s leadership style, in fact, it seems her purpose in life, is to bring out the best in the people she meets. She has a high regard for people that shows she values them. She has written that good leaders have an “appreciation of their colleagues individually and the dignity of the work their colleagues do.”

Hesselbein “walks the talk.” Her words and actions embody human value. On her watch, she built a conference center to train Girl Scout staff and invested in improving Girl Scout leaders’ people skills.  As a role model, she effectively increased human value in the Girl Scout culture and multiplied her actions as other leaders across the organization adopted her leadership style. She kept up with what was going on in the lives of the people around her and personally reached out to them when congratulations or consolation was in order.

3. Increase “Knowledge Flow”

Knowledge flow is key to innovation.  It creates a marketplace of ideas so that people are more likely to spot new opportunities to improve the organization. The energetic Hesselbein increased knowledge flow by approaching communication in an inclusive way, expanding information in ever-larger circles across the organization. Rather than lecturing, her style is to ask insightful questions to draw out relevant issues. In planning and allocating the Girl Scout organization’s resources, she introduced a circular management process that involved virtually everyone across the organization.

By the time Mrs. Hesselbein resigned from the Girl Scouts in 1990, the organization’s future was bright. Peter Drucker paid Frances Hesselbein the ultimate compliment by recruiting her to be the head of the Drucker Foundation (which was renamed the Leader to Leader Institute and more recently renamed the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute).  Through its activities, including publication of the award-winning Leader to Leader journal, the Institute is dedicated to carrying out the mutual passion that Peter Drucker and Frances Hesselbein shared for strengthening leadership in the social sector.

As you move from authority to influence in leading people, particularly in a volunteer organization, the challenge of inspiring employees increases. How can you employ the elements of inspiring identity, human value, and knowledge flow to increase your effectiveness?

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A recent announcement by Pfizer caught my attention.  The firm is selling its Prevnar 13 vaccine at a fraction of its normal price so that 260 million young children in poor countries will be protected from pneumonia and meningitis.  This is a disease that kills 800,000 children annually, nearly all of whom live in poor countries according to the World Health Organization.  800,000 children!  As a father myself, I think not only of all of those children’s lives but also the heartbreak, trauma and suffering that their families will avoid.  This is truly something worthy of celebrating and I for one want to say “thank you, Pfizer.”

I hope the leaders at Pfizer make their employees and the family members of employees well aware of this because they  should feel proud of their company for alleviating the suffering and deaths that would have otherwise visited these children and their families.  Communicating the good deeds of an organization reflects Vision and Value, two of the three core elements of a Connection Culture that boosts employee engagement, productivity, innovation and overall performance.

The news media today provide a constant drum beat of of stories about corporate misdeeds and rightfully so because the press plays an important accountability role in free market democracies.  I do wish, however, that the press would give more attention to positive stories like this that reflect good corporate character and reduce time spent on trivial matters.  Corporations bring skilled people together and provide the capital and resources necessary to solve some of the most challenging problems facing humankind.  Pfizer’s action in this announcement is a great example.  By celebrating the good deeds of corporations like Pfizer, we encourage them to be good citizens.

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Organizational missions are inspiring when they communicate how an organization brings truth, beauty and/or goodness to the world. For example, organizations in research or education help bring truth to the world (e.g. biotech companies, universities, schools). Organizations that produce goods or services reflecting aesthetic or artistic beauty or functional excellence bring beauty to the world (e.g. organizations that produce goods or services reflecting a high level of quality, advertising and design organizations, entertainment organizations). Finally, organizations that help improve the wellbeing of people, bring goodness into the world (e.g. healthcare, consumer products or leisure and entertainment organizations).

Citibank’s recent television commercial is a great example of an organization communicating a mission that inspires. The ad shows some of the projects that Citi helped finance including the transatlantic cable, the Marshall Plan to rebuild a post-World War II war-torn Europe, and the Space Shuttle Program. Now those are some accomplishments to be proud of and collectively they have brought greater truth, beauty and goodness into the world.

The post When Mission Matters appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

Here is a link to the article I wrote about Starbucks. The article is entitled “Have a Heart.”  It was published in Outlook Business for Decision Makers, a leading business magazine in India. In addition, below are links to three segments of a radio interview I did yesterday morning with Jim Blasingame, host of the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate program.

The post Recent Media Appearances appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

The U.S.S. Montpelier Command Philosophy (below) is an outstanding example of values articulated in a clear and compelling way.  Remember that values at their best are a source of pride and guidance for employees.  To be the most effective, values must be communicated in writing and verbally because people usually learn by reading or listening.  A portfolio of simple yet compelling stories should be developed that can be told to help people remember your values.

The USS Montpelier Command Philosophy

Montpelier is a warship, designed to steam into harm’s way and win.  Our flesh and blood bring this ship to life.  We are stewards of one of the most capable warships in the history of mankind.   These thoughts provide a framework for executing that stewardship and for building the teamwork that will enable us to fight and win in war.

Honesty provides the foundation of trust that is essential to teamwork.  I expect and require that you be completely honest in your communication with your shipmates.  I will do the same with you.  At times, this will be painful, but it is extremely important that we have the facts when making decisions and that our relationships are based on mutual trust.  I pledge not to kill the messenger.

Integrity. Do the right thing; don’t take the expedient path.  If you are not sure what the right thing is, and you have the opportunity, ask.  If you can’t, trust your judgment and training.  This requires a great deal of courage, but if you act honestly and faithfully in this regard, you will not be second-guessed.

Teamwork. No ship, department, or division is successful as a one-man show.  Teamwork is the key to success.  Our actions must reinforce this concept.  If you find yourself thinking about a problem in the command and the word “they” pops into your head, think again.  “We” will solve problems together.  I am not one of them and neither are you.

Backup. If you think anyone in the command is asking you to do something that is incorrect or inconsistent with these principles. Stop and ask for clarification and assistance.  Leadership is about setting priorities.  If you have an idea for a better way, suggest it.  My door is always open to discuss your concerns. I trust that you will use the chain of command when possible.

Mistakes. Honest mistakes come with the territory.  I will make some and so will you. The keys to success are establishing enough backups so that we don’t make a critical mistake, and recognizing and learning from the mistakes that we do make.  Your tour will be filled with many ups and downs.  It is not how many times you fall that will determine your success.  Your honesty, integrity, and determination to fight on, will.

Training. We will fight the way we have trained.  Therefore, training is our most important mission in peacetime.  I will probably spend most of my effort in this area.  Training must be operationally oriented and practical.  If the training does not contribute to your ability to do your job, advance, or live your life better, then we should be doing something better.

Initiative. This is our ship to fight and operate. I expect you to think tactically and operationally and to drive the ship aggressively.  When you identify an opportunity or a problem, consider alternative courses of action, then act or tell your boss what you intend to do an why.  Seize the initiative and work to the limits of your authority. I intend to push as much as I can downhill, so that each of you has responsibility commensurate with your ability.  If you can handle more, go for it.

Caring Leadership. Know your people.  Translate your caring into tangible results.  Get them off the ship when you can.  Ensure they are ready for advancement.  Make a difference in their lives.

Standards. The standard is excellence in all we do.  Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is a habit.”  Our reputation is determined in a large part due to how we execute routine evolutions, our personal appearance and the appearance of our ship.  It is the sum of each of our actions.  Set the standard.

Family. Success at work is interwoven with success at home.  I consider it vital that we balance our military duties with our roles in the family.  Take advantage of opportunities to make time for your family and work hard to keep your professional role and your family role in perspective.  It is also important that our families understand the importance of our mission and that we recognize the sacrifices that our family members must make in order to fulfill our duties.  Service is a team effort.  I will make an effort to create a family environment on board and to support our families.  A successful command has a family atmosphere, where every member takes pride in being a part of the team.

Critical Self-Assessment Our ability to improve is dependent on our ability to analyze the causes of our failures and to take action to address those problems.  At times, we will formally critique events.  The intent is to fix the problem, not the blame.  Honesty is critical to this process.

Ambassadors Overseas, we are ambassadors of the United States.  At home, we are representatives of the submarine force, the Navy, and the U.S. Military.  Our behavior and actions should reflect the pride and responsibility we feel as members of an elite military organization.

Personal Development I expect every Sailor to be working towards his personal and professional development and I will support your actions in these areas.

Fun Submarining is an extremely challenging and demanding profession.  At times the hours will be long and the work hard, but it is important that we have fun while fulfilling our responsibilities.

Fitness and Sleep Submarining requires stamina.  Fitness, nutrition and sleep are key to your decision-making.  As General Patten said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”  Take care of your body and your mind.  I do not judge you on how long you work or how long you stay awake, but on how effective you are.

Decision-making I will not establish a lot of detailed policies to spell out and legislate decisions on board.  I will balance the long- and short-term needs of each individual, the ship, and the U.S. Navy.  If time allows, I will make every effort to explain my decision, but there will be times when it is not practical and I expect you to trust my judgment.

Equality We swear to support the Constitution of the United States, which states that all men are created equal.  I expect you to treat each of your shipmates, our families and our visitors with dignity and respect.

Service and Reward My ultimate goal is that you consider your service on board the MONTPELIER one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.  This requires that you resolve to better yourself, your ship, your shipmates and your country.  Each night when you go to sleep ask yourself “What have I done today to make myself a better man?  How have I made MONTPELIER a better ship?  Have I been a faithful steward of one of our country’s most valuable assets, this ship and the outstanding Sailors who fight her?”

These are my thoughts, just word on paper.  Our actions together make them a reality and the key to our success.

Note: Jason Pankau and I recently taught a workshop on employee engagement to leaders of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.  While there we recorded a podcast interview with Janis Apted, Associate Vice President for Faculty Development.  You can hear the podcast interview at this link.

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My mind must have been on something else as I began to edge out a bit from a side street to make a left-hand turn onto a main thoroughfare.  At the same time, another driver was turning left onto the street I was on. I slammed on my brakes in time. Admittedly, the near miss was my fault and the driver I almost pulled in front of had every right to be upset.  What surprised me, however, was the intensity of his reaction.  He came unglued, turned blood red, repeatedly flipped me off and began spewing expletives and spittle.  The rage on his face is burned in my memory.  I kept an eye on him in my rear view mirror to make sure he wasn’t turning around to come after me.  Fortunately he didn’t.

Why are so many people angry these days?

As you might guess, I have a theory about this. Many people have been chasing the proverbial golden ring for much of their adult lives and it’s not worked out as well as they had hoped.  With the economy continuing to struggle, a lot of people are frustrated. The people I know who are struggling the most are those who are working to feed their desire for more money and/or greater status. The purpose of their work is to serve themselves.

On Wall Street where I spent most of my career, most people are there for the money and status. (I was attracted for those reasons too.) They want to make enough money – frequently referred to as their “number” – so they can eventually quit their jobs and say “adios” to their employers.  In recent years, they feel like they’ve been moving further away from their number and this has left them frustrated and exhausted.  Today, more people on Wall Street are giving up on the Street altogether.  Of those who remain, many of them carry around just beneath the surface what Christian minister and author Rob Bell describes as a “low grade boiling rage.”  Although Wall Street is probably the most extreme, this phenomenon extends to other sectors of the American economy.

In contrast to those who work to serve themselves are the people I know who exhibit joy and contentment in their work in part because they serve a cause greater than themselves.  Their work brings meaning to their lives. My friend Paul Spiegelman is flourishing as the CEO of Beryl Companies, a private company founded by Paul and his two brothers.  Beryl brings goodness into the world by helping hospitals with call center support for doctor referrals and follow-up calls to check on patients who recently underwent treatment.  At Beryl they know they’re doing important work.  They describe their work as “connecting people to healthcare.” They also derive meaning from a corporate culture that treats employees like family.

My friend Rob Mathes is flourishing in part because he brings truth, beauty and goodness into the world through his music.  Over the last year, Rob composed an amazing orchestral work entitled “At Night a Song Is With Me,” co-produced “Symphonicities” with Sting and produced Matthew Morrison’s new CD (and much, much more).

Another friend named Ann is flourishing as she helps bring truth and goodness into to the world through her work as the Chancellor’s Associate for External Relations at a major university.  Ann’s energy is boundless.  In addition to her job responsibilities, she takes an active interest in students and their families. Ann is also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to raising funds to support breast cancer research.  Sometimes I’ve wondered if there are two Anns (identical twins perhaps?).

It’s somewhat ironic that another friend of mine named Traci Fenton is flourishing because she channeled her anger in a constructive way. When Traci was an collegiate exchange student in Indonesia during the end of President Suharto’s dictatorship, government spies overheard her conversation with an Indonesian friend in which views were expressed that were at odds with the Suharto government’s oppressive values. As a result, an Indonesian government thug threatened Traci’s friend and warned him to stay away from her “or else.” When her friend called to say he could no longer see her, Traci was outraged and extremely upset.  She knew this was wrong.  Unfortunately, at the time she could do nothing about it.

Years later Traci went to work for a large company only to learn that it had arrogant, authoritarian leaders who viewed employees-at-large as inferiors.  Being treated that way made Traci feel the same sort of anger she felt in Indonesia.  This time she decided she could do something about it.  She quit her job at the company and founded an organization to bring democratic values to the workplace.    She named it WorldBlu (blue is the color of freedom).

Today, Traci is the CEO of WorldBlu.  She serves a cause greater than self and she’s thriving, experiencing joy and contentment in her work despite the difficult economy, unlike many of my friends who toil away to make their number on Wall Street.

Here’s the point: we are human beings, not machines. Sure, we need money for the necessities of life and it’s nice to enjoy some experiences beyond the necessities but we also need work that is meaningful if we are to flourish over the course of our lives.

So how is your internal temperature?  Are you near a boiling point on a regular basis?

Are you flourishing? Are you spending all of your days serving yourself or are you investing your life in a cause greater than self? Is your work bringing truth, beauty and/or goodness into the world?  If not, can you identify ways to bring truth, beauty and/or goodness to your workplace?  If you conclude it isn’t possible, consider finding volunteer work that does or seek another job where you can do work that brings meaning to your life.  If you’re fortunate, you will find work that is so meaningful and brings such a sense of joy and contentment to your life that you never want to retire.  Imagine that!

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Watching the video reminded me of the joy people experience when they become engaged in and feel connected to their work. They move from the drone of daily work to a life-giving state where work is like making beautiful music. This only happens when one’s work brings truth, beauty and/or goodness into the world. It is one aspect of the first element in a Connection Culture that we call “Inspiring Identity.” Learn more about Connection Cultures and Inspiring Identity in Fired Up or Burned Out.

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