In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Thomas Jefferson – U.S. President

The other day, my wife and daughter were out to dinner at an outside local pizza bar. The place was busy. The server was a masked tattoo’ed millennial. She was part-owner of the restaurant. The tattoo across her forearm read: ‘Love the process’. Her process was her work. Her passion. Her work affirmation. Maybe, her calling – her true north. True north is a compass metaphor for finding your true path in life and at work.

In the same way, personal mission statements define who you are and what you do. VUCANs believe personal mission statements are character defining. This is what you do. This is what you won’t do.

Story: Work should be meaningful to you. Some VUCANs want to do principle-based work in a Green Work World, specifically focused on climate change, sustainability, and green issues. Only a few years ago, I would have said a lot of companies had principles that were mainly motherhoods and meaningless slogans. With FOW disruptive change being the new normal, your true north is important for your sanity, well-being and work direction.

However, things changed for all companies and government this year. COVID. Furloughs. Downsizing. Outsourcing. Off shoring. Massive disruption all over. All of us are now having to redirect our true north. Also, companies have the same pressures to find their true north by paying more attention to core principles and values, such as transparency, social responsibility, sustainability, social justice, equity, fairness, and human rights.

Work Lesson Earned: On a personal level, my values and principles are critical and sacred.  In the same way, work has to be more than money to give you the freedom to do other things. Work is boring unless it has personal meaning or purpose. Work should touch you somewhere. It can be in the pocketbook, heart, and soul – hopefully all three.

Work can make the world a better place to live. Work can be challenging and puzzling. Work can get you closer to God. Work can feel ‘just right’. Work can be your life’s purpose. Work can help you find meaning, which drives creativity and progress.

So, what’s your true north? What do you stand for? What do you believe in? What drives you to do the work you do especially in VUCA time?