Meaningful Work Matters

• Growth Beyond the Ladder: Lessons from Beverly Kaye

  What makes people feel they truly matter at work? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Beverly Kaye, a trailblazer in career development, employee engagement, and retention. For more than 50 years, Bev has shown that the small things leaders do, like noticing and naming what they see, can have the biggest impact on whether people grow, feel valued, and choose to stay.In their conversation, Andrew and Bev explore why growth is more than climbing the ladder, how everyday conversations shape engagement, and what it means to lead with an “opportunity minded” approach.Key TakeawaysNoticing creates mattering. Saying out loud what you see in someone is the simplest way to show they matter.Growth is not just up. Careers can be kaleidoscopes, shifting through lateral moves and fresh perspectives.Conversations are retention tools. Stay interviews and everyday check-ins build trust and engagement.Opportunity mindset matters. Leaders and employees can either be opportunity minded or opportunity blinded.Why This Episode MattersMeaningful work isn’t only about the tasks we do, but how others see us and help us grow. Bev’s lifetime of work shows that noticing, mattering, and honest conversations are the foundation of engagement and retention.About Our GuestDr. Beverly Kaye is recognized internationally as one of the most knowledgeable voices on career development, employee engagement, and retention. Her books have become classics for managers and organizations worldwide, offering simple, practical tools for growth and retention that stand the test of time.In the blog, we expand on Kaye’s ideas with more context and examples, including her concept of kaleidoscope careers. Read more here: https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/bev-kaye

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• Work as Polis: Reclaiming the Communal Soul of Eudaimonia

  This week, we’re celebrating a milestone: the 50th episode of Meaningful Work Matters!Over the past two years, we’ve spoken with more than 50 researchers, thinkers, and practitioners who are reimagining what makes work meaningful.To mark this moment, we are doing something different. Instead of an interview, Andrew shares his own reflections, based on an article co-written with his mentor and friend, Dr. Carol Ryff. Together, they explore what it means to see work not only as a driver of productivity or advantage but also as a moral commitment and a way of reclaiming the communal soul of work.This special solo episode invites you to pause, reflect, and imagine how workplaces can become modern-day polis: moral communities designed for human flourishing.Key TakeawaysAndrew reflects on what it would mean to treat organizations as moral communities, drawing inspiration from Aristotle’s polis.He explores the tension between individual wellbeing and collective flourishing, and why both matter for the future of work.The episode touches on what makes “decent work” a foundation for human thriving, and why organizations cannot ignore it.Andrew shares why the business case for wellbeing is not enough, and what it takes to move beyond metrics into moral purpose.Finally, he considers how the arts and the stories we tell can help us reclaim the deeper soul of work.Why This Episode MattersThis conversation is an invitation for reflection, dialogue, and action. For a deeper dive into the themes Andrew shares in this episode, visit our companion blog.If you have been part of our journey so far, thank you. If you are new, this is a perfect time to start listening. And if something resonates, we would love for you to share it with a friend or colleague and let us know what ideas or stories it sparks for you.

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• What Work Ought to Be: Lessons from Jennifer Tosti-Kharas and Christopher Wong Michaelson

  What makes work worth doing? In this episode, Andrew sits down with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas and Christopher Wong Michaelson, co-authors of Is Your Work Worth It? and The Meaning and Purpose of Work. Jennifer is a psychologist and Christopher is a philosopher, and together they bring complementary perspectives to one of the most important questions of our time: how do we define meaningful work, and what are the risks and responsibilities that come with it? Their dialogue touches on everything from the double-edged sword of calling, to the ethical obligations of organizations, to what AI and automation might mean for the future of work.Key TakeawaysMeaningful work is both personal and ethical. It is about how work feels to us, and whether it contributes to the greater good.Calling can be inspiring but also harmful. Leaders must recognize both the promise and the risks.Organizations have real responsibility. Beyond mission statements, they must design jobs and cultures that allow people to thrive.The future of work will test us. From “bullshit jobs” to AI, leaders and employees alike must wrestle with what work should be, not just what it is.Why This Episode MattersConversations about meaningful work often stop at the individual level, but this episode pushes us to think bigger. Leaders and organizations hold real power in shaping whether work supports or undermines human flourishing. At a time when burnout is widespread, purpose is marketed as a recruitment tool, and technology is reshaping jobs, Jennifer and Christopher remind us that meaning is a collective responsibility. For organizations, this means creating conditions where people can thrive without being exploited. For leaders, it means asking not only whether your work feels meaningful, but also whether it contributes to a greater good.About Our GuestsJennifer Tosti-Kharas is the Camilla Latino Spinelli Endowed Term Chair and Professor of Management at Babson College. She researches and teaches about what it means to craft a meaningful career and the risks and rewards of work as a calling.Christopher Wong Michaelson is the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics and Academic Director of the Melrose and The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas. He also teaches at NYU’s Stern School of Business. A philosopher with decades of experience advising business leaders, Christopher writes and teaches on meaning, purpose, and the ethical responsibilities of work.

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• The Risks and Rewards of AI for Well-Being: Lessons from Llewellyn van Zyl

  What does it really take to understand well-being?In this episode, Andrew Soren speaks with Llewellyn van Zyl, a positive organizational psychologist and data scientist who is rethinking how we measure and design for human flourishing.Llewellyn shares why traditional “top-down” models of well-being often fall short, and introduces a bottom-up, person-centered approach that treats every individual as a unique case. From there, he explains how artificial intelligence and machine learning might help scale these insights, and where we need to be cautious about over-reliance and ethical risks.Key TakeawaysTop-down models have limits. Frameworks like PERMA can’t fully capture cultural differences or personal experiences, and often prescribe “averages” that don’t work for everyone.Bottom-up approaches start with the person. Llewellyn outlined eight principles for understanding well-being as a dynamic, context-dependent process that unfolds uniquely for each individual.AI offers possibilities and pitfalls. Machine learning can help identify unique drivers of well-being and burnout at the individual level, but it also raises concerns around ethics, dependence, and the dehumanization of care.The future of work will require balance. Technology should augment human wisdom, freeing us to focus on the creativity, ethics, and relationships that machines cannot replicate.Why This Episode MattersAs organizations grapple with the well-being of their employees, this conversation offers both a critique of the “one-size-fits-all” approach and a vision for what’s possible when data, AI, and human-centered design come together. It challenges us to think carefully about how we measure what matters, and how to ensure technology supports, rather than replaces, what makes work meaningful.Llewellyn also shares concrete practices and stories, such as why “connection to nature” isn’t universal and how AI can identify signs of burnout in unexpected ways.You can explore these ideas further in our blog here: eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/llewellyn-van-zylAbout Our GuestProf. Llewellyn E. van Zyl, PhD, is an award-winning positive organizational psychologist and data scientist. He is a professor at the Optentia Research Unit at North-West University and Chief Solutions Architect at Psynalytics, where he pioneers person-centered, idiographic approaches to employee well-being through advanced analytics and AI. With more than 15 years of consulting experience and over 100 scientific publications, his work is reshaping how organizations understand and support the employee experience.

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• Design as a Radical Act of Agency: Lessons from Lesley-Ann Noel

  In this episode of Meaningful Work Matters, we speak with Lesley-Ann Noel, Dean of Design at OCAD University and author of Design Social Change. They explore how design can be a radical, joyful act of agency that shapes the world we want to live in. From understanding your own positionality to deeply listening to others, Lesley-Ann shares how embracing both joy and anger can fuel social transformation. She also introduces the “abolitionist mindset,” a way of identifying when systems are too harmful to improve incrementally and must be dismantled entirely.Key TakeawaysKnow yourself to create change. Self-awareness is the foundation of meaningful design work. Understanding your values, biases, and lived experiences shapes the questions you ask and the solutions you imagine.Listen beyond empathy. True change requires more than understanding another’s feelings. It calls for co-creation, proximity to the people affected, and attention to the unspoken cues that reveal deeper needs.Adopt the abolitionist mindset when needed. Not all systems can be fixed gradually. Recognizing when something must end entirely can be a catalyst for lasting, equitable change.Balance anger with joy. Anger can be a powerful motivator for action, while joy sustains the energy required to keep going in the face of long-term challenges.Why This Episode MattersWhether you lead a team, manage a project, or simply want to make a difference in your community, Lesley-Ann’s approach to design offers a practical and hopeful roadmap.By combining critical reflection with bold action, she invites us to see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more just and joyful future.About Our GuestLesley-Ann Noel is a Trinidadian design educator and Dean of Design at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. She is the author of Design Social Change and co-editor of The Black Experience in Design. Her work includes the creation of critical reflection tools such as The Designer’s Critical Alphabet and the Positionality Wheel. Before joining OCAD U, she taught at North Carolina State University, Tulane University, Stanford University, and the University of the West Indies.

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