Gaining Greater Meaning from Your Work by Pamela C. Barker

I recently read an article about job crafting a way to change the job you're in to create more meaning at work. Researchers found that people get meaning from their work by having or creating a sense of purpose in their role regardless of the actual job description. And meaningful work leads to an increase in job satisfaction and performance.

I recall a traffic policeman at a busy intersection in downtown Cleveland, Ohio whose uniform was impeccable, shoes shined to a high gloss finish and white gloves. He took pride in his appearance and performed his job with the grace and humor of a Marcel Marceau (see Tango Dancer). The cop was extremely effective in his ability to move cars through his congested spot, while giving drivers a moment of joy in place of aggravation. His artful masterly of his skills went well beyond his job description. He clearly enjoyed his craft, and left his customers feeling good too.

In HR we are seeing HR Generalists move towards disciplines of Talent Management and Organizational Design, roles with more meaning and high value. But there are equally vital areas such as compliance and information management where HR staff may not be so at home.

A recent telephone survey of 150 HR Professionals in the US and Europe asked specifically about how HR addressed compliance, safeguarding corporate and employee information and meeting regulatory and legal requirements. It also asked how HR met business requirements to provide timely information.

Changing Nature of HR roles

The results of the survey may surprise you. Within the HR department, staff assumed senior HR Managers were experts in these areas. In reality, HR Management often lacks expertise and formal training. The good news is that you do have alternatives to recruiting or in depth training to becoming expert yourself.

Better engagement benefits everyone

You don't have to go it alone. By out-tasking certain aspects of information management you can gain greater efficiencies, get the right HR people properly trained, and so free up time for individuals (including you) to focus on their specific areas of interest. After all, if we are all more engaged and performing at our best, satisfaction, results and greater meaning will follow.

And you and your team may see things getting better in all the ways that the studies suggest work can be made more meaningful; simplified tasks, better relationships and improved perceptions.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/records-management-an...
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