Practical tips and thought-provoking ideas for navigating the world of work with more humanity. Don’t miss a post–sign up for our newsletter!

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Here’s where you find the complete archive of articles from the MeaningSphere Blog, all in one place. Read, share, and enjoy.

Developed by Dr. Marjolein Lips-Wiersma, the Map of Meaning is the foundational framework of MeaningSphere’s flagship offering. Comprising four pathways and three tensions, the Map is a research-backed tool for understanding how we experience meaning—and therefore, what makes work meaningful rather than meaningless. Here, you’ll find articles that will empower you to understand and apply this powerful framework in your own worklife. 

This is where we share the heart behind what we do. Here you’ll find the ideas, insights, and stories that shape our offerings—and why we believe meaning at work matters. Think of it as a starting point for understanding who we are, what drives us, and how we can make a difference in your worklife. 

Your worklife is the ongoing conversation between your work and your sense of self. Here you’ll find fresh perspectives, practical tips, and gentle questions to help you explore what matters most to you, so you can build the worklife that fits you best. From shifting workplace trends to new data on wellbeing, we’ll connect the bigger picture to your everyday experience. 

A plan for navigating work transitions

Drawing on her experience helping organizations and individuals navigate change, Dr. Gail Townsend shares ideas and questions to consider in the midst of a work transition.

What to read, watch, and listen to during your work transition

Career transitions are often the most exciting and the most frightening times of our lives. There's the kind we plan for (for example, the choice to go back to university) the kind we never could have seen coming (a global pandemic that would upend working life as we know it), and a range of complicated situations in between.

Thought-starter: What if transitions were our best friends?

We all face significant changes throughout our careers. I invite you to picture work transitions as outgoing and lively friends.

How to find, and become, a mentor

MeaningSphere's cultural and business advisor Dr. Gail Townsend has enjoyed a long career helping organizations build and sustain meaningful structures. In the second installment in a two-part series on mentorship, she shares tips for seeking out a mentor as well as mentoring others.

Nine lessons my mentors taught me about meaningful work

MeaningSphere's cultural and business advisor Dr. Gail Townsend has enjoyed a long career helping organizations build and sustain meaningful structures. In this piece, she reflects on the biggest lessons her mentors have taught her so far about meaningful work.

Mentorship and meaning as a founder

How can mentorship support us through times of transition in our worklife? And can it help bring a greater sense of meaning to our work? United Effects founder and MeaningSphere team member Bo Motlagh shares how being mentored and mentoring helped him start and build his business.
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Thought-Starter: Can a mentor help us find meaning at work?

What can help us better understand what gives our work meaning? Self-reflection, working with a mentor, and nurturing our own listening skills.

How to build community at work (and why it matters)

Building community at work isn't always easy, especially now that so many people are regularly working from home. MeaningSphere's Roz Duffy shares some ideas for creating connection at work – and why it's so important.

Signs you’re lonely at work

With more and more people doing remote work, loneliness at work is a growing topic. Yet, for many, a sense of belonging in the workplace is an important part of experiencing meaning at work. We explore some of the less obvious signs of loneliness at work.