Most people are stuck in monotonous work in large organizations. They are extremely excited in the beginning but over time, the work just becomes a muscle memory and loses its value.
Logotherapy is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by famous neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. The whole idea of Logotherapy is that humans have an innate thirst for meaning in life. They are motivated by purpose and you can simply help someone find their purpose to give them a whole new meaning in life.
During World War 2, Viktor Frankl was held in concentration camps where he came up with this theory. Life in concentration camps was extremely brutal for the prisoners (images below).
It was extremely difficult, I would say impossible rather, to stay positive being a prisoner in those conditions. And yet, Viktor Frankl helped many prisoners to stay happy in those suppressing conditions. How did he do it?
Viktor Frankl developed Logotherapy to help people realize their potential and meaning in life. He helped them imagine the ideal life they would like to have and then emphasize on it all day. People started enjoying small daily chores while imagining about a happy life - a peaceful solace they would find once they would get out.
How will Logotherapy help develop culture?
Most of the people are stuck in continuous monotonous work in a large organization. They are extremely excited and motivated in the beginning but over a time, the work just becomes a muscle memory and loses its value.
The problem here is not the work itself, but how the work is perceived by the doer. They lose a sense of meaning behind it and what has no meaning, has no value. Managers should try to bring the meaning back to their work, making them realize that their work is valuable and a key part in the whole process.
There is a need in the employees to know how their work is affecting the big picture. Because a lot of them work behind the scenes, they don't get to see how their work can help someone as an end result. And this is a responsibility every manager and a leader should take - to convey customer testimonials to their employees. Sometimes bringing a customer to speak in front of the employees can also boost their motivation by 10x. Read here on how Elaine Baker from Paper Potpourri brought customer experience to their employees.
Know that your people just want some meaning in life. They want to know that their work is helping someone, that they are making a difference - no matter how small. And usually bringing that personal touch can solve the mental cog within the employees' mind. Simply showing a personalized video testimonial to a particular team can boost happiness and motivation. Remember, general testimonials don't work here. These testimonials have to be crafted for a particular person or the team. People want to know that 'they' have made a difference.
Try it. Measure it. Write to us about your experience. We will make sure to include your story in one of our next blogs.
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