It’s about The Work

Lately, I have been deep in thought along the themes of purpose and calling. I am a classic example of the John Grey model for our emotional progression through life: approaching 50, I have satisfied my baser needs, partnered up, and am moving on to try to address a deeper calling to contribute to my community and be a Force for Good. In PR, this is a double-edged sword: it is a quest with which we can certainly resonate professionally, after years of helping clients answer that call. But when we lack it in our own lives, we are painfully affected to the core of our own self-image: if I don’t have Purpose, what am I?

Like most people, I have always been most effective when I am inspired by Purpose. Whether that purpose was to bring a new audience to ballet, or to create a new town centre, I felt a deep sense of calling and commitment that is difficult to replicate. When I find myself fussing over the 14th rewrite of a briefing note, I confess that sense of purpose escapes me altogether. Being a bureaucrat had the potential to sever me from my passion permanently – were it not for the fact that public service is a vast smorgasbord of opportunities to be a Force for Good, if you just look at it the right way. The trick is reminding yourself of your greater purpose, while you’re fighting the good fight in the idiocracy.

Most recently for me, this balancing act has been focused around the notion of a promotion. I’ve spent the last five years working my way back up to the level of contribution – and access – I had when I was consulting, and at times it’s been enough to literally make me cry with frustration. Without access to the minds of my senior leadership, I’m at the mercy of those in the middle management layer who must interpret my Purpose for me. And it rarely translates well. As for my ability to provide high-quality strategic counsel, I’ve always done best when I can be a participant in management’s conversations in the C-suite.

So what happens when I don’t? There are two options: fight to change the circumstance (ie move or agitate), or focus on the work. This week, I decided to once again cleave unto my Purpose: in this case, to lead an employee engagement strategy which will give life and expression to the Service Canada Brand. It’s one of those projects which is just hard enough to define to make it truly interesting. And at the end, it is about telling a story – and storytelling is where I live and breathe as a practitioner. That is my Purpose. It is my work – and it’s the work that will always keep me going as I soldier on through this bureaucratic adventure.