Fancy a more meaningful workplace? How about starting starting with your own? In my previous blog post  I outlined why the Map of Meaning is such a powerful self-awareness tool. Here I’ll outline some of the ways we can work with the Map of Meaning in an organisational context, to create more meaningful workplaces. The first thing to say is that the possibilities are endless, no matter where you are starting from there is something you can do to make a difference. In their book The Map of Meaning- a guide to sustaining our humanity in the world of work, Marjolein Lips-Wiersma and Lani Morris have collated many examples of how they and others have worked with the Map of Meaning in an organizational context. As the Map of Meaning is a foundational tool, I have found that it lends itself easily to many different client situations, and can work easily in harmony with other tools the organisation may already have in place.  If you want to find out more then join Lani and I on 5^th & 6^th June a masterclass on Creating Meaningful Work and Workplaces. Here are just a few examples.

• A strategic tool- I’ve used the Map of Meaning with a recruitment brand team to help refine and deepen the global company’s employment brand offer.

• An engagement tool- If you are looking to find a way to really engage your people with your brand values or your sustainability strategy for example, you can work with the map to help individuals find the connection between your organization’s purpose or impact and what really drives meaning for them.

• An organizational design tool- The map can we used as a framework to evaluate your existing organizational processes, programmes and interventions for what’s working and not working. As a foundational tool it doesn’t compete with other methodologies or tools that are in place, but can help make sense of how they are working together and identify gaps. Read my blog post about how the Map of Meaning can help prevent change fatigue.

• A culture change tool- Working with the map provides a safe and professional context and language for people to hold conversations about “what’s going on under the surface” and “what really matters”.
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• A diagnostic tool- whether you use the tool directly or indirectly (e.g. holding it as a model in your head but not necessarily making it visible to your client)- the map provides a useful framework to help understand what are the underlying issues of a given problem or situation.

• A team building tool-, I have seen people find deep human connections that they never shared before in years of working together just after an hour of starting to work with the Map. In its essence, to create and share our own map of meaning with our colleagues is an experience of sharing and being seen for who we are in all our humanity.

• A tool for supporting wholeness at work- Creating the opportunity for people to bring their whole self to work and express their full humanity through work is one of the three breakthoughs that Frederic Laloux identified from his research into organisations inspired by the next stage of human consciousness outlined in his best selling book Reinventing Organisations. Read my blog post about how the Map of Meaning can provide a key to unlock more wholeness at work here.