I want to paint you a picture of two different employees. There is a stark contrast between these two, both in what they do and why they do it. Employee #1, let’s call her Anna. Employee #2 is Brad. 

Anna gets to work a few minutes early. She goes around and speaks with her coworkers, asks about their weekend, etc. She gets a good amount of work done each day, and the work that she produces is all high quality. Anna leaves work each day tired but fulfilled. While there are other things she could think of to do with her time, she generally looks forward to going to work each morning. Over the course of time she gets a raise here and a promotion there. She gradually grows in influence and as she gives more, she herself gets more.

As you might imagine, Brad is a little different. He rushes into work a few minutes late. He keeps to himself and does his own thing. He procrastinates, and his work output is low overall. The things that he does complete are mediocre. He dreads going to work and views it as boring. Over the years he isn’t progressing forward, so he moves laterally from company to company. 

To outside onlookers, Anna and Brad are night and day different. This is because of the OUTPUTS and overall trajectory of their lives and careers. But at the core, what is the root cause of this discrepancy?

The Difference

Beyond the noticeable differences between these two, it’s clear that Anna and Brad approach things from a very different PERSPECTIVE. In life, perspective can make all the difference. One human might own very few possessions, but they maintain a perspective of abundance/contentment. The next person has markedly more but maintains a viewpoint of never having enough/always needing more.

So If Anna and Brad live and work out of different perspectives, why is this?

The root difference: Anna finds PURPOSE in her work while Brad does not!

Last week I shared a quote from Author Pete Davis where he states that “The two forces that keep us going in life are novelty and purpose. We get out of bed in the morning because something new or something purposeful might happen”.

With Anna, it’s clear to see that there is a purpose driving her. She speaks to others so that their day can be a bit better. She works hard so that the organization can more effectively accomplish its objectives. She gives her best so that she can reap the fruits of her labors later on. And so on and so forth. Anna recognizes the impact that her actions have on others. She believes that how she goes about things matters.

Brad isn’t working a job that has any less purpose than Anna’s does. Every job, every role, has meaning when the person in it believes that what they do matters! Brad could have just as much purpose in his role as Anna does, but his perspective is the opposite of hers.

Purpose + Perspective = PERFORMANCE!

In Closing

What perspective do you view things from? Do you believe that what you do matters? Do you wake up and tap into a purpose greater than yourself each day? Is your purpose large enough to motivate you to do the things that you don’t want to do? What actions, if any, do you need to take to clarify your purpose or shift your perspective?