Inspiration at Work?

[c9]

I've never thought of my job as a noble pursuit. In fact, I often get a little down because I don't believe I'm doing Good. I could be helping children in Africa, or building houses for the homeless, or even getting into civic politics and effecting change. But teaching people how to make a database? It certainly helps them, but where does the planet actually benefit?

The other night my company (well, a co-worker and I) hosted an instructor event where we brought in our favourite instructors and talked about the changes at Nexient, gave them a chance to talk to the CEO and with each other, wined and dined them, and talked about presenting what Nexient is all about in the classroom. One of the things that happened was my new boss talked a bit about how he sees the work we do, and it was the first time anyone had ever made me think about the Good that is found in what we do: "People are entrusting their careers to us." Thinking about it like that made me think just a little differently about it.

I still don't see overall Good in what we do, but the positive impact we can have on other people, not just on their activities, did make me think a bit.

I do think I'd like to find something I can do that I feel is more meaningful though. Volunteering would be a good start, but the way my work is right now I don't think I could find time -- and I think that maybe I should devote more of my time to Good than I currently do to Neutral.

Do you see Good in what you do? Do you want to see Good in what you do? Does all this talk of Good make you a little bit Pukey?

Comments

[ironmanjt.livejournal.com]

It makes me incredibly pukey - but mainly because I hear it 50 plus hours a week at work.

Happens when your Company's mission statement is: "Our Dream is a World Free of Poverty."

I often wonder how many people truly believe it.

[oldgrover.livejournal.com]

Well, ya'll are working to put yourselves out a job, so there may be some foot dragging over the last few stages..

-OG

[purplemartini.livejournal.com]

I feel good about the employer I work for but not necessarily the job I do. Being the business of higher education, I think that the whole world benefits from open minds. I get my good in what I do from volunteering with the Red Cross. I know there is no better feeling in the world than responding to a disaster and knowing that, while you didn't physically save any lives, you made it possible for people to pick of the peices and feel like they have lives worth living after losing everything.

[nihilicious.livejournal.com]

I actually feel great about my job. I help make sure people are treated fairly and in accordance with the law. And I help keep the region's biggest employer running. I'm no Jesus or anything, but I do my bit.

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

Ditto PM, minus the Red Cross stuff. Despite the amount of time you might spend mired in politics, when you work in Higher Ed you really are impacting the education (and hopefully even the thinking) of the future leaders, thinkers, and doers in society, and that's a fairly weighty responsibility.

Sometimes I find it hard to see why the project I'm working on is good for the University, but luckily I can ask my boss "Why?". Sounds like you can too, and that's a good thing.

[rebelprince26.livejournal.com]

i understand how you feel. i would like to think that i am bringing Good to the world through by getting my company's music out there. I feel like the secret of life is making others happy. How you want to do that is how you are going to contribute to society. i do that by getting songwriters paid for their work.

but i'd much rather do that by promoting their music and placing it in films and television shows. not just negotiating the fees once the placements have been made. that's Good, right?

if i didn't have these musical aspirations i would definitely be working for HRC or something. that's much more Good than the evil music industry. but maybe i could volunteer? or when i'm old and rich i could sit on a board or something.

am i babbling?

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

I'm a lawyer, and I think we rank up there with car thieves and telemarketers on the scale of those who do Good.

[kabuki-mask.livejournal.com]

I'm torn. My company supplies places like Monsanto with the stuff they need to do what they do. That's evil. But I also have customers who are working on diagnostic tests for Africa and others who are doing research on cancer. That seems good.

I think I'd rather build an orphanage.

[c9.livejournal.com]

The frogurt is also cursed.

That's bad.

[bartok.livejournal.com]

"Good" is an extremely I don't believe in, the same as "bad".

However, I guess I could consider parts of my job to be "for the greater good" since I have a part in working on IT designs that are often used in the public sector. For instance, a radiology network that allows scans to be sent cross country via the Internet, therefor allowing doctors to see results immediately rather than having to wait for a courier. Quite often that time can save people's lives...

[primary-suspect.livejournal.com]

I think you already know the answer to your questions from me, considering that I'm spending the next 4 years of my life trying to go in a different direction that will hopefully do more good.

I mean what I do right now is indirectly helping people and possibly saving some lives but it is hard to see or measure that sort of impact from the nature of the work.

I used to volunteer my time in more physical ways when I was in high school but as you said things are quite busy now, but I still manage to spend some time doing things in a virtual way. I'm trying to do some good by donating my expertise and CPU cycles to good causes in the computing world. Right now I'm working on a project that could have many benefits, but is currently working on vaccines for AIDS for example. This doesn't take up a lot of my time but will hopefully result is something good, even if just a better understanding of the situation.

[thespos]

For me, as I have no real medical background, my work is the only way I can contribute to the betterment of society. I take what I do very seriously, because the data we work with has the potential to impact human lives. I have worked on studies for HIV/AIDS, diabetes, various forms of cancer, rotovirus (which kills thousands of children each year), and other treatments. I can't cure these people myself, but I can make sure that the research done to help them is in a secure system, and that the people making judgements about the drugs can be assured that the data is sound.

I got started in this industry right after a good friend told me he was HIV positive, and not only was he positive, but he had had bouts of serious illness. I was devastated, and then the Universe handed me a way to make a difference. I have never looked back, and no matter what kinds of politics and personalities I have had to endure, I never forget the importance of what I do, and what it means for people the world over.

The rotovirus study, as one example, developed a vaccine for third world countries. Millions of children will ultimately be saved. Who can't feel good from that?

[sarah-sosiak.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I took the job at Linden was that I saw a better chance for Doing Good™ here than at MSFT. But despite all of the emails and cards we get from people thanking us for changing their lives I’m not really feeling it. I’d say that’s because most of what I do is pretty indirect to the experience, but thinking about it, I’m not sure there’s any job here that would make me feel like I was directly Doing Good.

One of the reasons I keep talking about pharmacy school and the like is that I see that sort of work as having more potential to allow me to Do Good -- but I have a feeling that unless I’m building schools by hand in sub-Saharan Africa* I’m never going to feel like what I do fills that need.


* Not entirely ruled out as a career path.