The Power of Purpose

In this reflective article, marketing coordinator Jiayi Chen shares her experience leading her team through Project Meaning, a Lego-based experiment demonstrating how purpose fuels motivation. The exercise revealed how visibility, recognition, and co-creation shape meaningful work. Jiayi describes how her team began celebrating impact, collecting community stories, and involving staff in shaping narratives—actions that reignited pride and engagement.

When a talented employee quit, explaining she “wanted her work to mean something,” one leader set out to understand purpose in the workplace. Inspired by Dan Ariely’s Lego experiments, he replicated the study to show how visibility and acknowledgement fuel motivation. His team discovered that seeing the impact of their work—and having ownership in shaping their environment—deepened engagement and pride.

The Power of Purpose prompt set helps participants uncover what makes work feel meaningful. The first ten prompts guide self-reflection on recognition, achievement, learning, belonging, and creative expression. The next ten translate those insights into action through small, practical activities—connecting with teammates, celebrating progress, teaching others, and making invisible work visible. Together, the reflections and experiments build awareness of how meaning fuels energy, collaboration, and performance.

The Power of Purpose exercise turns reflection into action after completing a Lego experiment on meaningful work. Teams review behaviors observed in the exercise, identify what made past projects satisfying, and sort those experiences into nine drivers—recognition, achievement, learning, impact, legacy, belonging, autonomy, fun, and creativity. For each, the template offers practical ideas to embed purpose in daily practice, from “quick-win” shout-outs to creative warm-ups.

The Power of Purpose template turns reflection into action after completing Twennie’s Lego experiment on meaningful work. Teams review behaviors observed in the exercise, identify what made past projects satisfying, and sort those experiences into nine drivers—recognition, achievement, learning, impact, legacy, belonging, autonomy, fun, and creativity. For each, the template offers practical ideas to embed purpose in daily practice, from “quick-win” shout-outs to creative warm-ups.