Why Work?

Why Work?

First of all, why are we discussing this? I’ll set the stage - I was a Junior in college at the University of Tulsa, and in a class called “Psychology of Work”, my professor prescribes to us a (rather large) book called Working by Studs Terkel. Did I read the entire thing? Not quite (like I said, rather large book). Still, I found inspiration in it and from it. I know I’m not the only skim reader out there.

Working is a collection of interviews with American workers from various backgrounds and occupations - from coal miners to executives. Through these conversations, Terkel explores their daily lives, aspirations, and perspectives on work.

This is where the idea (of this segment) stemmed from - now where do I want to take it? The depth of these interviews exposes themes surrounding the dignity of labor, human resilience, and self-expression through work. While there is a TON to unpack, what I really want to learn from others is their “why” - it’s their purpose behind why they do what they do and why they do anything at all.

I thought it would be helpful for you to have insight into why I work before I interview anyone else. I’ll be asking the same 5-10 questions to those I speak with in the future, so to be fair to all my interviewers, I’ll answer them myself.

The Interview

If you’ll use your imagination for a moment, I’m going to interview myself. For the purposes of this article, my little mug man on our logo (Joe) will be conducting the interview, and I (myself, Luke Mangan) will answer each question honestly. Enjoy!

Joe: Luke, tell me about yourself… Maybe name, where you’re from, family life?

Luke: Of course, I’m Luke Mangan. I’m originally from Central Arkansas - Little Rock, then Hot Springs. I went to School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, spent a couple years back in Northwest Arkansas, and I’ve been in Los Angeles, California for the past year or so. I live here with my wife, Grace, and a puppy named Judge.

Joe: Amazing, and what do you do for work?

Luke: I’m an Account Executive at a Leadership Development SaaS company called Wildsparq.

Joe: Splendid - and what is it that Wildsparq does?

Luke: Wildsparq provides companies a scalable leadership development system that allows them to foster a culture of growth and development for their people, both personally and professionally.

Joe: Sounds like a really valuable service - now tell me, the reason for the interview… Why do you work?

Luke: That is the question, isn’t it? Well, I work for many different reasons. Most obviously, I have a family, and I have bills to pay, and without the money that comes from the work I do, I’d be unable to provide a life for my family that we would be able to bare, much less enjoy.

Secondly, everyone who works is solving a problem that someone needs (or wants) fixing. Whether it’s a problem that your company needs fixed, or it’s a problem that the world needs fixed (which is hopefully what your company is focused on), YOU are contributing to that vision even if it’s in a small way. I could go on and on about this - the honor that should be held in every role at every company. Everyone is contributing, it’s awesome. Moving on!

Lastly, and more intrinsically, I believe we are called to work. I believe in a Creator whose first command to humankind was to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

So there’s this divine mandate for humanity to populate the Earth and exercise stewardship over the natural world. Exercising stewardship over our gifts and our circumstances given to us is purpose enough to pursue excellence in whatever we do. I believe we are created for good works that have been prepared before us. I may be losing some readers here, but it’s important to know that everyone is going to come into their why on their own for whatever reason they choose - this is just mine.

So yes, it’s helpful to have the money, and I’d love to have a flexible retirement that would allow me to pursue the things I want without fear of financial strain. No question about that. But instead of thinking about working now so that my life beyond work can look the way I want it to, I’d rather focus on doing good as the goal, not the means to the end.

Doing it this way allows me to work for the glory of God (and some sense of accomplishment as always). Therefore, I’m not reliant on the praise of others, and my work is not dependent on whether or not someone else recognizes what I’m doing. It makes work more fulfilling, and it takes the pressure off, honestly.

Joe: Very thoughtful response, Luke. Now, how are you able to fulfill that purpose you feel like you have through your work at a place like Wildsparq?

Luke: I’m fairly new to it, but the goal is to give companies an opportunity to invest in their people - not only for improved productivity, but for personal growth that is going to make them better leaders in their home, in their community, and of course in the workplace. The goal is to facilitate human flourishing in a way that benefits the businesses we serve. This is where I am right now, so this is what I’ll pursue with excellence. You can do it anywhere, but I feel fortunate to be able to do it at a place like Wildsparq.

If our product can help someone be a better father, mother, mentor, coach, leader, etc., ALL while improving the way they interact with people at work - I’m pursuing a just cause.

Joe: Great, and if you could leave the people with any final thoughts on work, what would they be?

Luke: I’d just say that you have to decide for yourself how you view work, and especially how you view the work in front of you right now. Is is something you can learn from? Is it THE thing you see yourself doing forever? If so, pursue it. Treat it like it’s your own business. Maybe turn it into your own business I don’t know! If it’s not THE thing you see yourself doing forever, what can you take from it that can be applied to the next thing? Is that next thing going to get you closer to where you want to be?

Above all else, just have your “why,” have a reason for doing the things you’re doing. The people around you will be in awe of the way you work with such conviction. People will take notice, and you will be rewarded if you work in such a purpose-driven way. Find your thing (even if it takes 6 jobs to find it), and find a way to embed your work into your life’s mission. If you can put a link in here, I’d love if you could suggest your readers take a look at Every Good Endeavor by the late Timothy Keller - a brilliant book regarding human purpose and its relation to our work. It takes a faith-based approach, so while I personally recommend it to everyone, Why We Work by Barry Schwartz may also provide an ample diagnosis of what drives human satisfaction in work, and it’s worth checking out - maybe copy a link for that one as well.

Joe: Yeah, we can do that. Here’s Every Good Endeavor: https://a.co/d/71xRzzb

And here’s Why We Work: https://a.co/d/8z5iDwL

Thanks so much for your time, I’m sure the readers of Over Joe will have great insight into the ways that you (our beloved founder) think about work. I trust my readers know that you are in no way telling anyone how to think or what to believe, but rather, you are presenting your worldview (workview, maybe - you can coin this, I like it), and showing us how work fits into it in a way that brings purpose to your every day.

Luke: The term workview has been used before, but I may put my own spin on it someday. And that’s right Joe, thanks for having me :)

Joe: You had yourself, Luke.

Luke: You’re right. Cheers!