Drawing on his extensive experience as an organizational culture consultant and his executive leadership at QVC, Van Valin builds on the research of Harvard professor Teresa M. Amabile and many others to create a new paradigm that emphasizes engagement and support at all levels of an organization’s culture. The goal is to generate a work atmosphere in which purpose and meaning are important measures of organizational success…. Throughout the book’s 13 short chapters, Van Valin provides readers with ideas, personal insights, anecdotes, visuals, short case studies, and examples of best practices for practical, hands-on guidance. His creative and thoughtful work spans topics from recruitment and retention to the implementation of organizational leadership and the creation of a work environment that promotes both career and life fulfillment goals.Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.
— Choice Reviews
Van Valin asserts that job performance is driven purely by employee engagement, defined as “a conscious and subconscious choice to apply our energy, talent, and care to any effort, large or small.” The central theory of the book is that workplace leaders can cultivate engagement by creating an atmosphere in which employees feel a sense of meaning or purpose in the work they do. Having established this theory, the author examines each of the 11 amplifiers as avenues to the ultimate goal of employee engagement through meaning and purpose (such as self-satisfaction, manager, company, and world society).... recommended for large business collections with a focus on management and leadership.
— Booklist
Referring to a Gallup survey, this book claims that the vast majority of employees are not engaged with their work. That’s problematic as the book logically argues that employee engagement leads to greater productivity. Van Valin, the CEO and founder of the Culturology consulting firm, believes that an important reason numerous attempts to increase employee engagement fail is that they do not recognize the importance of workers finding meaning in their work by having a purpose, which can create a meaningful relationship with their professional roles and a desire to achieve something. The author identifies 11 amplifiers of meaning—that important someone or something that workers contribute value to—that range from oneself, to the company, to the local community, to God. Each amplifier has a chapter devoted to it, and there are “Search-For-Meaning Questions.” For example, questions in the chapter about the family amplifier are “Does my work allow me to pursue and fulfill my family priorities, and do I feel I’m a good provider for my family?" Ideal for those concerned about employee engagement.
— Library Journal
Profound! Brilliantly written and researched, The Search for Meaning at Work captures the true root of employee engagement - a topic more relevant than ever.
— Marshall Goldsmith, executive coach, business educator, and bestselling author of Triggers
Why do people rush to the bowling alley but dread going to work? Because bowling provides meaning and purpose, while most workplaces do not. The Search For Meaning At Work is a master class on how to create deep meaning and purpose in the workplace, which ultimately leads to higher performance.
— Steve Blue, President and CEO of Miller Ingenuity
People in today’s organizations are working harder than ever, with some losing track of what’s meaningful about their work. In The Search for Meaning at Work, Stephen Van Valin details eleven amplifying dimensions of meaning that don’t stop at organizational structure. Managers can now work with their people to identify factors that matter greatly to them and help them once again derive true meaning from their work—factors such as self-satisfaction, family, team, customer, community, world society, spirituality, and more. If you are the leader of a team, read this book, apply its teachings, and watch your people flourish!
— Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The "New One Minute Manager®" and "Simple Truths of Leadership"
Ideas are the currency of your future. Steve Van Valin helps you see ideas that others don’t see and turns those ideas into your reality.
— Chic Thompson, Batten Fellow of Entrepreneurship, University of Virginia Darden Business School Founder
A thoughtful, practical book about what it takes to make work a source of meaning rather than misery.
— Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN
A must read for anyone who is looking for clarity of purpose and meaning at work. With Van Valin's storytelling, the book is impossible to put down and the plethora of examples and visuals bring meaning into focus. For the first time, instead of thinking about meaning at work, I felt meaning and it's impact on the working world. You will too
— Jess Podgajny, Co-founder & CEO, LLUNA
What can be more vital than leading on purpose? This book should be mandatory reading for any new supervisor ready to go from managing to leading. What a great way to create a foundation of success anchored on purpose that will last your entire career and life.
— Aaron Hurst, Founder and CEO of Imperative, and author of The Purpose Economy
Steve Van Valin does a masterful job in connecting the dots of meaningful purpose in a practical way. If you are a leader looking to squeeze as much out of life and leadership, this book is a must read!
— Robb Holman, Global Leadership Speaker and Author of Lead the Way, All In, and Move the Needle
Experiencing meaningful work is a fundamental human desire and leaders play a crucial role in facilitating it. In The Search for Meaning at Work, Steve VanValin gives leaders an immediately actionable playbook for how to amplify meaning from any position — which I believe is the most important skill of any modern leader.
— Zach Mercurio, Ph.D., author of "The Invisible Leader," meaningful work researcher
Steve Van Valin’s new book, The Search for Meaning at Work, is a powerful and timely book for both individuals and leaders – one that provides a practical road map to capture long term meaning and engagement in the workplace. Van Valin makes a compelling case that purpose, empathy, and one’s supervisor are essential components of a meaningful career. Weaving in effective and easy to understand visuals, prompt questions, case studies, and best practices, The Search for Meaning at Work is a must read for anyone looking to use purpose and personal engagement foundation pillars of a successful career and life.
— Bob Kelleher, President, The Employee Engagement Group and author of Employee Engagement for Dummies
Companies struggle to keep their employees engaged, leading to higher turnover rates. Business leaders aren't prepared to deliver a work experience that gives employees meaning and purpose at their organizations. Van Valin, an organizational culture consultant and former QVC executive, provides a set of tools to solve those talent problems. He argues that without meaning, there is no engagement, which is why the author's model is based on 11 "amplifiers of meaning," which identify and describe the core purpose that gives work meaning. Van Valin offers specific steps leaders can take to help employees find their purpose within an organization.
— TD Magazine