Amplifying Fulfillment in the Workplace: Nurturing Meaning to Elevate Your Job Satisfaction
Optimizing Self-Expression in the Workplace: Strategies for Enhancing Personal Growth and Achievement
Have you ever felt that your work lacks purpose or fails to inspire you? It's essential to find meaning in the tasks we perform daily to ensure long-term contentment and success. Selma Fehrmann, a renowned organizational psychologist, author, and consultant, reveals the strategies to strengthen self-realization in your job.
Meaning and self-realization are vital components of job satisfaction, along with social connection, personal balance, and security, according to Fehrmann. Meaning at work evokes feelings of autonomy, effectiveness, and value, making employees better equipped to handle stress and strive for excellence.
So, what fuels self-realization in the workplace? According to Fehrmann, it revolves around leveraging personal strengths, pursuing interests, and honoring values that resonate with our talents. Discovering these hidden connections enhances job satisfaction and even induces more 'flow' states.
Yours Truly, Control Your Work Happiness
Active self-influence on work happiness is vital, asserts Fehrmann. Developing self-leadership skills aligns with this, allowing employees to learn, grow, and take control of their feelings, thoughts, and actions. To cultivate more meaning in your work, spend time reflecting on what gives you personal meaning.
A useful tool in this quest is the Ikigai model, consisting of four inquiries:
- What ignites passion within you?
- What skills are you proficient in?
- What does the world require from you?
- What generates income for you?
Moreover, consider the impact of your work on others or the contributions you make to team projects. Regularly journaling three meaningful moments from your work week could help reinforce your sense of purpose and value.
Extend Your Horizons, Even in Limited Roles
It may come as a surprise, but self-realization and meaning can be nurtured within even the most limited job roles. This transformation often occurs through the strategic use of talents, like participating in team projects or receiving novel tasks.
Stay Resilient: Overcoming Career Roadblocks
When meaningful self-realization eludes you in your primary role, seek out prospects outside the workplace. Creative hobbies, social engagement, or forging strong interpersonal bonds could help bolster your sense of self-efficacy. Moreover, engaging in activities called "meaning challenges," consisting of daily deeds that benefit or inspire others, can offer refreshed inspiration.
Many employees struggle with motivation at work. This finding is consistent with a recent survey by the market research institute Appinio, commissioned by software company Awork, among 1000 office workers in April 2025.
Nearly 60% of employees complete their tasks satisfactorily but do not push their limits, while 7% admit to only doing the bare minimum. Boosting self-realization and meaning in the workplace can help employees thrive, leading to greater resilience and satisfaction.
References:
- ntv.de, awi/dpa
- [1] Source: ICF Germany podcast featuring Selma Fehrmann and other experts in organizational psychology (available on podigee.io)
Engaging in activities such as self-reflection, utilizing the Ikigai model, and pursuing personal growth through education-and-self-development, career-development, and creative hobbies can help fulfill one's personal meaning and promote self-realization in the workplace, as suggested by Selma Fehrmann. Despite being in limited roles, individuals can still nurture self-realization through strategic use of talents in team projects and novel tasks.
