To most of us, the phrase “work that matters” infers job satisfaction. The outcome is lower stress, lower turnover, and higher productivity—in business, a win-win for employees, customers, and shareholders. The logic is infallible. So, I ask you, why is there such a gap between the theory and the practice? Why are so many organizations and so many workers struggling to find workplace nirvana?

Work that matters is a key success factor for every business. But as a concept it is no different than a long list of other key success factors that organizations strive to achieve. We read about these factors in the quintessential mission statements that occupy real estate in annual reports and gather dust in reception lobbies. Companies say they want to be customer-centric, to be innovative, to produce outstanding products and services, to be environmentally responsible, to be socially responsible, and so on. But they continue to fall short of these superlatives. Herein lies the difference between objectives and strategy.

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