Purpose and Work

The meaning of work has changed over time.

Before the Industrial Revolution, people saw work as part and parcel of being a member of a community: it was purposeful because it was the fabric of life itself. After the Revolution, views of work evolved: for workers, the only purpose of doing a job was to receive a wage; for factory owners, workers were no more unique or important than the mechanical parts of the machines they used to turn out goods. In the 1950s, perspectives shifted again: your job wasn’t just something you did for money; it gave you status, identity, and professional standing. Most people worked for one company for life. In the 1980s, another development occurred: companies wanted not just a reliable workforce, but one that demonstrated its investment — whether they really felt the emotions their jobs demanded they perform or not. Organizations began using behavior metrics to track and manage the emotional aspect of work.

The dawn of the 21st century saw the birth of the idea of personal transformation through meaningful careers at world-changing companies like Google. In time, most modern firms fully embraced this Silicon Valley-nurtured ideal, placing...