In Search of “Good Work”

In his post “What If Good Work Was The Norm?” Ari Weinzweig, CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses contrasts the concept of Good Work with it’s opposite, Bad Work. Bad Work, he says, “is like strip mining for the soul.” The world is filled with jobs that are meaningless, tedious and perhaps even demeaning but it doesn’t have to be that way for those of us in the veterinary profession.

So what, then, is Good Work? According to Weinzweig…

When we embrace that the healthiest ecosystems in nature are the most diverse, and do our best to replicate the natural diversity in what we do and who we do it with every day; when we bring beauty into every single action; when we bring dignity and grace into the ways we work every day, then we have the chance to take things to the next level. When we do that, we create good work. And when we make good work, we can change the world.

He goes on to share…

Good work is life altering, fulfilling, and fun. Good work is about learning, laughing, growing, all the while earning enough money to make your dreams come true. It’s about collaborating with people you care about and who share your values, contributing something positive to the people and the community around you.

It’s fun, not something you flee from. It’s a place you want to be, even if you rightfully have other places you want to go. Good work is about positive energy—both feeling it and building it. Good work is about doing something you believe in, work that you care about in a workplace that cares about you. It’s endlessly sustainable, not energy-sapping.

While people might certainly, on any given day, go home tired after doing good work, they’re rarely spiritually exhausted. When we’re into what we’re doing, giving it everything we’ve got, learning and laughing even under duress, the experience is likely to be energizing, even if, in the moment, physically tiring.

At its upper reaches, good work can be one of the most rewarding things one ever engages in.

I’m inspired by those words and I’m guessing you are too! Good Work is not an unattainable ideal; it’s something all humans desire and it’s certainly achievable. It’s also something that’s incredibably important for our profession right now.

So, how can we make Good Work the norm? Here’s my suggestion. Start by sharing the words above with your colleagues, your team, your employees - anyone who is a stakeholder in your workplace. Then, simply ask them a question like, “What would it take for us to bring more of this Good Work energy into our day-to-day work experience and our professional relationships. Finally, listen, be curious, and revisit this conversation regularly. If you do, you’ll change the world one small step at a time.