Meaningful Work Matters Work Devotion and Identity Armor: Lessons from Carrie Oelberger [Part 1]
In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Meaningful Work Matters, Dr. Carrie Oelberger explores the complexities and potential dark sides of deeply meaningful work, particularly in mission-driven organizations. She introduces groundbreaking research on how different individuals experience meaning at work and challenges common assumptions about value alignment in nonprofit and social impact sectors.
Dr. Oelberger's insights reveal how meaningful work can both enhance and complicate our lives, especially regarding work-life boundaries and relationships.
Key Topics Explored:
- Values alignment and individual work preferences
- The relationship between meaningful work and job security
- Boundary inhibition in highly meaningful work
- Impact of meaningful work on personal relationships
- Intersectional challenges in mission-driven work
- Leadership considerations for managing meaningful work
Quote from the Episode:
"People who find their work deeply meaningful... that boundary around their work time is inhibited, not by their employers actually, but by themselves. They are really devoting themselves - physically, emotionally, mentally - to their workplaces, because they find so much meaning in it." - Dr. Carrie Oelberger
Key Takeaways:
- One size fits none when it comes to meaningful work - individual preferences and values vary significantly
- Job security matters universally, regardless of stated preferences
- The impact of meaningful work on personal life varies significantly across different identities and social positions
- Meaningful work can turn into armour we wear that weighs heavily on personal relationships.
- Organizations need to actively manage the potential dark sides of meaningful work
Resources Mentioned:
- Research on work-life boundaries by Mary Blair-Loy
- Vivek Murthy's workplace wellbeing framework
- David Blustein's research on decent work
- Scott Barry Kaufman's interpretation of Maslow's hierarchy
About Our Guest:
Dr. Carrie Oelberger is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a McKnight Land Grant Professor. Her research on meaningful work is deeply informed by her experience leading a grassroots NGO in Tanzania, where she developed the country's first rural community education resource center. Her work examines how organizations can balance meaningful work with sustainable workforce management, particularly in mission-driven contexts.