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I suppose Labor Day is as good a day as any to remember why we work. A snippet from a conversation I overheard a couple of years ago: I don’t mind the job, it’s just that I don’t like the work.
Work has always been a paradox, though not always this amusing. There is something interesting about redesigning work so it can be a context for our more rewarding purposes. It does matter why we do work and “paying bills” almost guarantees that work can’t be intrinsically rewarding. In that context, work falls below hemorroids, root canal, and trying to walk cats on leashes.
Not all work is well-designed. When well-designed, work provides value and meaning for its customer and producer. Neither is neglected in the equation.
