Managers as Meaning Makers - Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Purpose and Value 

Executive Summary 

One of the more inspiring things we've seen a number of times, but not often enough is the  pivotal role of some managers play when they focus, both consistently and effectively, on the role of  "meaning maker" within their organization. 

To be effective, we've found,  role consists of three key parts:  

  1. Helping employees understand their value and place within the company, providing meaning and fulfillment. 

  2. To do this over time, requires the organization to reinforce its value, purpose and vision and often find new and creative ways of expressing it.    The focus by the manager on "delivering that meaning" to their people, creates a reinforcing loop back to the senior management to ensure this reinforcement continues. 

  3. It's rare that an organizations has  top performing talent acquisition/selection processes such that each and every person is a long term fit.   When a manager is a meaning maker, they advocate, influence, and most importantly they listen and foster open communications.  Engagement and fulfillment is a mutual responsibility where the manager and an organization have a role but it requires both and there will be situations where the manager determines accurately that the motivations, development needs or other suitability issues make it better for all parties that the person finds a new opportunity. 

When these elements are present, a powerful virtuous cycle emerges. Managers rotate through these roles, motivating and aligning their teams, which in turn propels them to improve the process further. 

Introduction 

In today's complex environment, employees increasingly seek meaning in their work beyond financial compensation. Research consistently shows that purpose-driven organizations outperform their peers in key metrics including productivity, innovation, and talent retention. At the center of this dynamic are managers, who serve as crucial meaning-making conduits between individual contributors and organizational leadership. 

Part 1: The Downward Flow - Helping Employees Find Meaning 

Connecting Individual Contributions to Larger Purpose 

Effective managers help employees understand how their specific tasks and projects contribute to the organization's broader mission. This connection transforms routine work into meaningful contribution. 

Key Strategies:  

  • Regular one-on-one discussions that explicitly link daily tasks to strategic objectives 

  • Use a comprehensive behavioral suitability assessment with the results shared between the manager and employee 

  • Focus on surfacing and navigating the following PICTs (Persistent Interdependent Contradictory Tensions): 

  • Sharing customer stories and impact narratives that demonstrate the real-world effects of employees' work 

  • Providing context for decisions and changes, emphasizing the "why" behind the "what" 

  • Beyond task alignment, meaning-making managers consistently recognize the unique value each team member brings to the organization. 

  • Train managers in storytelling and purpose articulation 

  • Ensure an environment without fear and the "blame game". 

  • Provide tools for connecting individual work to organizational mission 

  • Create forums for managers to share meaning-making best practices 

Practical Approaches in implementing the strategies: 

  • Specific, timely acknowledgment of contributions that goes beyond generic praise 

  • Creating opportunities for employees to showcase their work to broader audiences 

  • Discussing career trajectories in terms of growing impact rather than just advancement 

Building Community and Belonging 

Humans are inherently social beings who derive significant meaning from being part of a community with shared purpose.  So a key focus is on behaviors to build community and belonging. Here are some ways to make that happen: 

  • Facilitating team rituals that celebrate collective achievements 

  • Creating psychologically safe spaces where authentic connection can flourish 

  • Modeling vulnerability and openness that invites true belonging 

 

Part 2: The Upward Flow - Pushing the Organization Toward Meaning 

Advocating for Purpose at the Leadership Level 

Meaning-making managers serve as vital conduits of employee experiences and aspirations to senior management.  To do this effectively… 

  • Regularly communicate team insights and concerns to leadership 

  • Propose initiatives that strengthen alignment between stated values and actual practice 

  • Challenge decisions that undermine organizational purpose and hold the organization accountable to its stated purpose and values. 

  • Rather than merely implementing top-down directives, skilled managers actively shape the organization's evolving vision: 

    > Participate in strategic planning with insights from front-line realities 

    > Identify emerging opportunities that align with core purpose 

    > Test potential vision statements against the lived experiences of their teams 

    > Provide honest feedback when actions and stated values misalign 

    > Suggest corrections when organizational decisions drift from core purpose 

    > Protect teams from initiatives that undermine authentic meaning 

 

Part 3: Maintain The Virtuous Cycle  

When managers effectively fulfill this role, a powerful virtuous cycle emerges: 

  • Engaged and Fulfilled Employees Drive Results: When people understand their value and purpose, they invest discretionary effort and creativity. 

  • Improved Results Strengthen Organizational Purpose: Success provides resources and confidence to further invest in meaningful initiatives. 

  • Strengthened Purpose Attracts Talent: Purpose-driven organizations become magnets for high-performing individuals seeking meaning. 

  • As you improve individual performance, impact is deepened. With more capable, aligned team members, the organization can achieve more meaningful outcomes. 

  • Greater Impact Reinforces Individual Meaning 

  • And when you find people who not only don't fit but can't fit,  help them find a new opportunity. 

 

Conclusion 

In an era where meaning has become a primary workplace currency, managers who excel at making meaning—both downward for their teams and upward for the organization—create extraordinary value.  There are many ways to create ongoing virtuous cycles inside organizations to keep performance high while improving the culture and work environment.  By intentionally developing this capability, organizations can initiate a virtuous cycle that drives engagement, performance, and lasting impact. 

Alan Hoffmanner 

Partner, Agiledge