At EcoVadis, we believe that when our individual passions align with our collective mission, truly impactful work happens. That's why we were thrilled to host a recent workshop titled "Crafting Your Purpose at Work" as part of our well-being month in May.
Led by Maria Vitoria Macedo, Impact Associate at EcoVadis, the session was a fantastic opportunity for EcoVadians to dive deep into understanding their personal drivers and emotions, and crucially, how these align with EcoVadis' powerful purpose of guiding companies toward a sustainable world.
Maria skillfully guided participants through a thoughtful agenda, starting with how a purpose-driven company empowers purpose-driven people. The session explored how emotions can turn into actions, clarified common misconceptions about purpose, and introduced the powerful Ikigai framework.
The workshop emphasized that finding purpose at work isn't necessarily about a new job, but about reconnecting with what makes current work meaningful. Maria highlighted that purpose often lies at the intersection of our emotional drivers – addressing "what breaks our heart" (empathy, justice) and "what lights us up" (joy, passion). The session explored how even uncomfortable emotions like boredom can be signals guiding us back to purpose and real joy.
A key focus was on challenging common misconceptions about purpose:
- Purpose isn't "found," it's built. It's actively created over time by aligning tasks with our values and strengths.
- Purpose isn't one big thing, and it doesn't stay the same. It's made of many meaningful experiences and contributions in various roles, evolving as we grow and take on new responsibilities.
The core of the workshop involved a practical Ikigai exercise where participants reflected on four key elements:
- What you love at work: Enjoyable tasks, flow moments, projects that energize you.
- What you are good at on the job: Work strengths, positive feedback, natural talents, skills others rely on you for.
- What the world needs from EcoVadis: How your role contributes to EcoVadis' purpose and wider sustainability impact.
- What you are paid for in your role: Core responsibilities, expectations, and team contributions.
Participants then synthesized these reflections into their unique "Ikigai sentence," articulating their meaning and contribution at EcoVadis.
The session concluded with practical steps on how to bring purpose into daily practice, even on challenging days, by crafting an emotional agenda. Eisve Treciakauskaite, Sales Development Senior Associate at EcoVadis, introduced visualization techniques, a method used by high-performers, to mentally prepare for tasks by defining desired feelings for each activity. This powerful approach encourages us to reflect on how activities make us feel (energized, drained, no impact) and then define the desired feeling upon completion, fueling our energy for purpose.
At EcoVadis, we are committed to fostering an environment where every employee can connect with their purpose and contribute meaningfully to a sustainable world.
A Purpose-Driven Company
EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company under French law. Our company purpose, to guide all companies toward a sustainable world, acts as a North Star to ensure our growth is delivering positive impact for our planet and society. Learn more ecovadis.com/our-impact.
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