This is an interesting book on meaning and purpose, offered as an antidote to the great resignation. The author is, amongst other things, an organisational logotherapist (which – even if you’re not familiar with the concept – you might still know something about through the mentions of logotherapy in Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s search for meaning’) and host of ‘Working on Purpose’ radio.
The book is divided into two parts, with part one focused on really making sense of what is going on/what to do about it, and part two focusing on truly putting things into practice.
The first part encourages you to look at yourself, reflecting deeply on many things including thinking about how to make your business beautiful and playing a much longer game. There’s a huge focus on meaning and purpose, on work-life harmony and sustaining wellbeing/avoiding burnout, in addition to a proper emphasis on ESG and focusing on what’s best for everyone on the planet. I found the section on logotherapy to be really interesting and I liked the way the components were described; passion (what you create and give to the world), inspiration (what you take from the world in inspiration and experiences, and mindset (the stand you take to all predicaments when you face a fate you cannot change).
The second part then explores how to institute these cultural practices. These three chapters are a wide-ranging exploration including exploring how people are manged, focusing on people’s strengths (I wholeheartedly approve of this, obviously!), opening the heart to connect with meaning, and waking the soul.
I’ve heard meaning and purpose used interchangeably and often glossed over at a very surface level. This is a powerful book that will support you in reflecting deeply about what you want to do and how to go about putting that into action. This isn’t an easy read, the sort of book that you skim read and digest a couple of nuggets. There is a lot in there, and it is the kind of book that needs reading with a highlighter and loads of post-its, one that you will want to read slowly and keep pausing to reflect. It has really helped me reflect on some of the elements of my business and equipped me with a few extra tools to support my own work with clients.
Published by Practical Inspiration Publishing
Reviewed by Ian Pettigrew, Director – Kingfisher Coaching
