These workshop slides are part of a short workshop I held for Deloitte. The workshop focused on helping individuals and organizations to understand and engage in concepts such as meaning and purpose. Further, it provides three research-based tools that help individuals to get clarity and foster the presence of meaning in life and work.

1. FINDING MEANING
IN WORK AND LIFE
Taking a positive psychology lens on work, life
and why people do what they do.
Ingo Rauth (Ph.D.) Adj. Prof.& Executive Development Coach irauth@faculty.ie.edu | @ingorauth
Deloitte, Toronto, 2018

2. AGENDA
/ Why meaning?
/ What makes life meaningful?
/ How to foster meaning?
Ingo Rauth (Ph.D.) Adj. Prof.& Executive Development Coach irauth@faculty.ie.edu | @ingorauth

3. LOSS OF MEANING
Why? What for?
Globalization. Economic rise of non-democratic countries.
Why should I work here?
Volatile business environments / job insecurity / meaninglessness of established businesses
Why should I study?
More students then jobs - challenges efficacy.
Why should I be religions?
Some decline in appeal due to value conflicts with changing societal norms.
Why should I save for the future?
Economic crisis.

4. WHY DO YOU DO WHAT
YOU DO?
ASKING:

5. WHY MEANING
• Improved health
• Reason to live
• Increased resilience
• Handle negative emotions
LIFE

6. • 3x stay with a company
• 1.4x more engaged
higher performance review scores
• 1.7x job satisfaction
• reduced burnout risk
WORK
WHY MEANING

7. HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH?
WHAT IS MEANING?

8. Subjective
Constructed
Context dependent
Not constraint to/by the physical
Meaning is:

9. The essence of meaning is
connection.
WHAT IS MEANING?

10. ELEMENTS OF MEANING
CONNECTING THE THREE PILLARS OF MEANINGFUL LIFE

11. PURPOSE
Something larger than self.

12. PAST+PRESENT+FUTURE
TIME FEEDS AND ERODES MEANING

13. “WE SERVE WITH OUR ENERGY, THE
LIFEBLOOD OF COMMUNITIES AND THE
ENGINES OF SUCCESS.“
DTE Energy

14. EFFICACY
Impactful actions.

15. VALUES
Something good.

16. WHAT IS VALUE?
WHAT IS MEANING?
INSPIRED BY “A CLEVER LESSON IN SELF WORTH” HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/XOEFJFB0_T8

17. The essence of meaning is
connection.
WHAT IS MEANING?

18. WORK
MEANING
E
CONNECTION OF ELEMENTS
PV

19. MULTIPLE SOURCES
PROTECTION AGAINST MEANINGLESSNESS IN LIFE
WORKFRIENDS FAMILY
HOBBYVOLUNTEER

20. WAYS TO MEANING?
HOW TO BUILD STOOLS

21. WAYS TO MEANING
ATTITUDE CHANGE
EXPERIENCE
someone or something
CREATE

22. TASK
MEANING
E
FINDING AND CONNECTING
THE LEGS
PV

23. Teaching
Connecting Learners to their Meaning
Multiplying Positive impact
Developing others
+1 on the lecture sheet
Help students to develop
Create an interest in knowledge
Deepen my knowledge
Challenge of preparing and engaging
Creativity in lecture design
Speaking publicly
Learning new things
Writing (Papers)
Enabling others to connect to the
concept of meaning
multiplying impact (if advertised)
+1 on the publication sheet
Help - if i write with others
Twitter/Li to engage others
Deeper understanding through writing
Challenge - if split into chunks (Thesis)
Design the paper before writing it
(framework)
Paper as PPT
Learning how to write better

24. LIFE STORIES
DEVELOP YOUR MEANING IN LIFE
Instruction
Write a story based on important events in
your life; this can be based on
accomplishments and goals. Forces a
structure on events and emotions.
Twist: Begin with a negative event that is
transformed into a triumph.
Outcome:
Boosts self-worth
Develop personal ideology
Reduce physical illness1
improved liver enzyme function 2
improved (academic) performance 3
1 Pennebaker, J. W., Kiecolt-Glaser, J., & Glaser, R. (1988). Disclosure of traumas and immune function: Health implications for psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 239–245.
2 Pennebaker, J. W., & Francis, M. E. (1996). Cognitive, emotional, and language processes in disclosure. Cognition and Emotion, 10, 601–626.
3 Pennebaker, J. W., Colder, M., & Sharp, L. K. (1990). Accelerating the coping process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 528– 537.

25. TINY ACTS OF MEANING
CREATE & EXPERIENCE MEANING
Instruction
Make a list of small, specific actions that are
meaningful to you.
Execute daily for three month.
Possible actions:
Connecting deeply with others.
Pursuing Excellence.
Helping others.
Outcome:
Less Negative Mood
Positive Feelings
Decrease Stress
Foster Well-Being
Source: Houta , Ryan (2010) Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and
overlapping well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives.
Journal of Happiness Studies 11:735-762

26. https://issuu.com/iealumni/docs/issuu_aaff_ideas135/20

27. The meaning of life
is to give life meaning.
-Victor Frankl