Article How managers can help colleagues do the job they love

In the mid-1970s, Steve Wozniak was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard. Where, amongst a like-minded and passionate team, he felt his time would be career defining.

But that was all to change. After designing a then-revolutionary prototype for the personal computer, he offered the invention to his superiors. Not just once, but five separate times. Each time, it was turned down.  Met with a leadership team that didn’t share his vision and chose not to go ahead with it, Wozniak made a decision: he walked away from his stable career and co-founded Apple. It was a decision that went on to have a huge impact and turned him into a tech icon.¹

Steve’s story brings to life an important lesson: managers can play a big role in why people leave. But why do we assume that managers are instinctively good at teaching, training, and bringing other people on?

Managers have a bigger impact than we might think 

I invited Alice Hooper-Scott, Director of The School of Life at Work, to explain this on the Money:Mindshift podcast in an episode called ‘How to find a job you love’. In our conversation, Alice noted that while we rely on managers to create positive environments, it’s an ‘interesting concept’ to assume managers automatically know how to make someone else happy and successful in their career – especially if they've never been taught to do so themselves.²

According to Alice, the role of a manager is really important. When organisations don’t always invest enough in teaching their managers how to create cultures where people can thrive, they can experience higher turnover and lower productivity.

What happens when people don’t love their job? 

Put simply, when colleagues don't love their work, companies can feel the impact in three key ways: 

• Disengagement can be costly. ‘Companies where employees feel a sense of purpose tend to outperform the stock market by roughly 40%'. When that love for the role is missing, the company loses out.²

• The operational costs of attrition: A lack of fulfilment is the leading indicator of turnover. This creates a cycle of constant recruitment and training costs that eat into profit margins. On the other hand, fulfilled employees are 50% less likely to leave their organisations.²

• Beyond the data, there is a cultural cost. Modern workers tie their personal identity closely to their careers. If a company provides a paycheque but undermines a sense of identity, it can lead to resistance or quiet disengagement. And if employees don't feel a sense of autonomy or the opportunity to grow, they may feel less confident making independent decisions.

Why loving your job is a modern expectation 

Historically, the idea of loving your work is a very new concept. As Alice Hooper-Scott points out, two hundred years ago, the idea of a 'job to love' would have been considered ridiculous, work was purely about survival. If you were 'emptying chamber pots’ or ‘worked in fields’ you weren't looking for self-actualisation; you were looking for your next meal.

What helps people feel good about their work? 

But today, we expect more. So, what are the ingredients of a job we actually love? As Alice explained in our conversation on the show, it comes down to a few key elements: 

• Self-awareness: you have to understand what drives you, and what works against you. This means knowing what you are actually good at and what interests you, rather than just doing what sounds impressive to others.

• A sense of meaning: you need to feel that your work helps someone else or solves a problem. It doesn't have to be world-changing, but it has to matter.

• The right challenges: a job you love shouldn't be easy, but it shouldn't be impossible either. It needs to hit that 'sweet spot' where your skills are being stretched.

How managers can help people thrive

If a manager’s job is to help their colleagues thrive, they might want focus less on directing, and more on enabling. Here are some of my tips for success: 

1. A common cause of frustration at work is a lack of autonomy. Alice explains that managers need to support their colleagues to 'learn and grow and make their own decisions’. Instead of stepping into every detail, a good manager gives the employee the goal and lets them figure out the best way to get there.

2. High-performing colleagues stay when they feel they belong. Alice notes that people who feel a sense of belonging perform 60% better.² By taking a genuine interest in their teams as individuals, managers can build a culture where it’s safe to take risks and where everyone feels their contribution is seen.

3. Managers are often promoted because they were good at their old job, not because they’re good at leading people. To work at addressing this, managers need to learn how to ‘bring other people on': spending time understanding what motivates each person and helping them navigate their career path, even if that leads them elsewhere. 

By focusing on these areas, managers can reduce disengagement and turnover and can play a key role in why people to choose to stay and succeed.

Don’t overlook what your people care about 

In the end, Hewlett-Packard’s decision didn’t just lose them an employee – it meant missing a significant opportunity. By prioritising their existing calculator business over the idea of a personal computer, HP’s management allowed others to take the lead.

Employers, it’s worth considering that perhaps a top performer’s passion is a strong indicator for where the market is going next.

If this has sparked any ideas for you, you might want to check out the full episode of the Money:Mindshift podcast, ‘how to find a job you love’ featuring Alice Hooper-Scott from the School of Life. Available now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.