No doubt, it is a tough economy. But are the employees at your organization there out of choice or are they feeling stuck and just glad to have a job? Leaders should provide a reason to come to work, not just a place to work.

According to Dave and Wendy Ulrich, authors of “The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win,” leaders are “meaning makers.” They set direction that others aspire to, and they create cultures that shape how people think, act and feel. In their work with organizations across the country, the Ulriches always ask: Where do you find meaning? Not one person has given a workplace example.

Research indicates that there are societal challenges that make it difficult for people to find meaning at work. Trends include:

• Declining mental health and happiness: There are increasing rates of depression, anxiety and addiction, resulting in higher costs of benefits and lost productivity.

• Increased complexity of work: Technological, global and demographic trends are creating more complex work environments.

• Increased isolation: More people lack a sense of community.

• Low employee commitment: There are more disengaged employees, resulting in lower satisfaction, productivity and loyalty.

• Growing disposability and change: We would rather throw things away than fix them – including relationships.

• Greater hostility: There is a lack of civility because of an emphasis on win/lose, we/they, right/wrong.

The Ulriches concluded that helping people find meaning at work is important in both lean and prosperous times. They concluded that the most important factor is developing satisfying relationships. This reinforces research in “First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently,” which concluded that the “greatest sources of satisfaction are internal and emotional.”

The Ulriches agree that it is important for leaders to understand and utilize their strengths, but they stress that this thinking is incomplete. “You can’t build on your strengths unless you strengthen someone else,” they wrote. “When your strengths are used to strengthen others, then your strengths are giving you meaning.”

The authors concluded that leaders need to focus on creating meaning at work because:

• Employees who find meaning at work are more competent, committed and contributing.

• In turn, these qualities lead to increased customer commitment.

• In turn, customer commitment leads to better financial results for the company.

In other words, employee satisfaction is a prerequisite for customer satisfaction.

The Ulriches’ research has found: “Making meaning makes money.”

Jann Freed (freedj@central.edu) holds the Mark and Kay De Cook Endowed Chair in Leadership and Character Development at Central College in Pella.