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Meaning at W ork: Using Meetings in the Organization to Create Meaning for Participants

Meaning at W ork: Using Meetings in the Organization to Create Meaning for Participants. 7th European C onference on Positive Psychology Amsterdam, July 1-4, 2014 Nina Tange and Ib Ravn

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Meaning at W ork: Using Meetings in the Organization to Create Meaning for Participants

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  1. Meaning at Work: Using Meetings in the Organization to CreateMeaning for Participants • 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology • Amsterdam, July 1-4, 2014 • Nina Tange and Ib Ravn • Research Program on Organization and LearningDepartment of Education, Aarhus University, Campus Copenhagennina@edu.au.dk and ravn@edu.au.dk. Website: www.edu.au.dk/fv

  2. 1. Today’s program • Meaning at work and in meetings • Meaning-creating processes in meetings • What is meaning?

  3. 2. Meaning in PERMA (Seligman, 2011) • Positive emotions. Engagement. Relationships. Meaning. Accomplishment. • The meaningful life: Using you signature strengths in the service of something largerthan yourself (Seligman, 2002) • “We grasp the meaning of objects and events by taking them out of their apparent brute isolation and finding them to be parts of some larger whole, which explains them, that is, renders them significant” (Dewey,1910, p. 117)

  4. 3. When is workmeaningful? • You use your strengths; realize your potentials (Eagleton, 2007) • You make a unique contribution to work (Drucker, 1999) • Your organization creates value in society (Ghoshal et al., 2001) • You work with others to accomplish something important (Ravn, 2009) 4. Productivecommunity 3. Value creation 1. Use of strengths 2. Contribution

  5. 4. Meetings oftensorelylackmeaning • Goals are unclear: Exactly what are we supposed to accomplish(that will connect us to something larger)? • Manager talks too much and it’s not relevant to me • Discussions are unfocusedand incoherent • Meeting participants are passive, bored and alienated • = A meeting often disconnects participantsfrom any larger organizational whole or meaning.

  6. 5. Our intervention research on meetings • To be involvedand have a say in the organization is meaningful because it connects you to the larger whole • The organizational meeting is potentially a forum for this • We did an intervention study in Denmark: Three partnerships (bank, local government, state agency) (Ravn, 2013, 2014) • Intervention: We trained 105 managers in meeting facilitation • Pre- and post-measurements (survey): Does this increase meaning and value creation, as seen by the participants?

  7. 6. The bank: Someresults • ”Do you contribute through the meeting?” Pre: 50%, post: 66% • ”At the beginning of the meeting, is it clear what the overall purpose of each agenda item is?” Pre: 12%, post: 41% • Management group meeting4 times a year, full day, 15 branch managers.Hardly any involvementWe redesigned for meaning-ful participation

  8. 7. Redesign: Processes thatcreatemeaning (a) • Sit next to a (relative) stranger – and talk to her”How does my work connect with that of my peers?” • Specify meeting goals“The importance of this agenda item for our work is…” • Anchoring the meeting goals ”What can you contribute towards the shared goal?”

  9. 8. Redesign: Processes thatcreatemeaning(b) • Co-creationTop management present ideas-in-progress, involve middle managers, use their feedback • Best practice in small groupsKnowledge sharing & creation. Making sure your peers see and appreciate your contribution • Two consultants, free of chargeHelping someone with their challenge. Connects you with their work

  10. 9. Meaningprocess #5: Best practice in dyads • Identify a recent work task that you did well and which you found connected you to a larger wholeness in your life(Silent reflection, 2 minute) • Find a person you don’t know and tell him/her about it (5 minutes) • That person responds by picking out one important thing you and telling you. • Switch roles (12 minutes)

  11. 10. Meeting techniquestoday • Meeting type: Information meeting with presentation. Do inter-action before and after (other than Q and A) • Optimize seating, so people can see each other • At the start: Meet people • The six processes that create meaning (slides 9+10) • Dyad task tries on the presented material • Questions? Grab us in the hall, now or later • Individual take-awaysfor maximum impact: Team up in triads on your way out (unless you have to rush). Introduce yourselves. Tell each other about best your best outcome from this session.

  12. 11. Literature Dewey, J. (1910). How wethink. Dutton. Drucker, P. (1999). Management challengesfor the 21th century. Harper. Eagleton, T. (2007). The meaningof life. Oxford University Press. Ghoshal, S., Barlett, C. A., & Moran, P. (1999). A new manifestofor manage-ment. Sloan Management Review, 40(3):9-20. Ravn, I. (2009). Meaning in Work Life: Definition and Conceptualization. First World Congress on Positive Psychology, Philadelphia, PA, USA, June 18-21. Ravn, I. (2013). A folk theory of meetings – and beyond. European Business Review, 25(2), 163-173. Ravn, I. (2014). Training managers to facilitate their meetings. International Journal of Management Practice 7(1): 70-87. Seligman, Martin (2002). Authentic happiness. New York: The Free Press. Seligman, Martin (2011). Flourish. New York: The Free Press.

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