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OPINION
Our hidden impact
Leadership must communicate work meaning and impact in order to foster employee engagement and understanding of individual contributions.
O ne of my favorite holiday movies has to be It’s a Wonderful Life . Spoiler alert, the movie focuses on the life of George Bailey and a guardian angel who shows him what the world would be like if he didn’t exist. As the movie progresses, George learns that his life had impact in big and small ways to everyone. As a viewer, you can’t help but get introspective and a bit weepy.
Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM
I recently had my own “impact” story. I was at a memorial birthday tribute to a friend. It turned out that one of the close family-friends and I worked at the same firm more than 15 years ago, when I was a part-time marketing consultant. My tenure was short – only a year, as I was a layoff victim in 2008. I didn’t even recognize his face since we barely had any interaction; I worked mostly with the marketing director and managing partner on stand-alone projects. I had such little impact at the place that my stint there is a bit of fun trivia whenever I meet someone from that company. Imagine my shock when this man remembered me clearly. He then told me how much I helped him on a pursuit and shared that the managing principal was very sad that I was part of the layoff. I had no idea I
had any impact on the firm, given my short tenure. I assumed that laying me off was a simple business decision; after all I was only a part-time employee. However, hearing that I made an impact – even with my limited interaction – was moving. Knowing that I had an impact, even just to one person, made me view that job in a new light. Deep down, do we as humans hope that our work has some meaning? I think after the basic hierarchy of needs is met (food, shelter, clothing), you’re able to reach out and talk about the meaning your work brings. Turns out that meaning and impact are prime components for engagement. Engagement Magic:
See JANKI DEPALMA, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER MARCH 4, 2024, ISSUE 1527
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