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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WORK AND
MEANING
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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Imagine you got a job where you were paid £1,000,000 per year. The job was cleaning toilets.
Would you be happy to do the job? Why/Why not?
2. Would it make any difference to you if the job was in a hospital where there were very ill children?
3. Would it make any difference to you if you were doing the job in a company where most people
were making at least £5,000,000 per year?

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WORK AND MEANING

2 Finding vocabulary

Find vocabulary in the article on page three which means the same as the following definitions.

1. (n, para. A): a reason for something to happen

2. (n, para. B): a person who provides money or effort to partly support
something
3. (n, para. B): a strong desire to do a particular job, especially one that is helpful
to others
4. (n, para. B): a way of using skills or energy to do something useful

5. (v, para. C): use something for a particular purpose

6. (n, para. C): the state of being connected to other people

7. (n, para. C): the state of having complete control over what you do without
having to ask for permission
8. (n, para. D): the main reason for living

3 Reading for gist

Match the following sentences to the first sentence of paragraphs A - D. There are more sentences
than paragraphs.

1. Being part of a community also gives work significance.

2. Many people in life find themselves searching for meaning to what they do day to day.
3. In 2020, McKinsey & Company did a survey asking if it was important for their company to have
a purpose.
4. So what can we learn from this information?
5. For others, meaning can come down to the age-old question of whether you live to work, or work
to live.
6. But what’s the meaning of ‘meaning’?

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WORK AND MEANING

Why we do what we do
Finding meaning in work

A. 82% responded that it was. In 2022, a new survey by the same company found that when it
came to having a personal sense of purpose, 70% said that it was largely defined by their work. Given the large
proportion of time we spend working, it seems the majority of people want their work to go beyond giving them
a paycheck. A company that has purpose has workers who share that purpose. When that work is meaningful
to them, it gives them the impetus to work hard and are less likely to leave. So for work to have meaning is
advantageous to everyone, from the CEO down.

B. It can vary greatly from individual to individual. Often it means having a sense of being a
contributor to society. It’s why careers in education and medicine are often described as a calling. Having direct
contact with people who you are helping, often in life-changing ways, can be an important driver for many people
that wouldn’t be fulfilled if they worked in, say, retail or the media. However, for others, being part of creating
something is what gives definition to their lives. Not using the talents you have to express yourself and be part of
something larger can be deeply frustrating for most people. Finding an outlet for them serves as a motivator. It is
this that can drive people to start new businesses, turn to creative hobbies, and no doubt explains the underground
movements in dance and graffiti.

C. Teamwork is utilised in many fields, from catering, to sales, to professional football. Knowing
that others need you and would be worse off without you is not just important as an employee, but as a person.
This is why freelance and remote work can sometimes be challenging. If you start asking yourself: would anyone
notice if I didn’t show up? You know that there’s a problem. A 2020 study by Brookings found that relatedness was
the most significant factor in when it came to how much meaning we experienced in our work, with autonomy
coming second. Although many of us like to be able to have a sense of control over our work, it seems we want
to connect with those whom we work alongside much more.

D. Receiving money for a job that allows you to do what you enjoy with your freetime can be
enough to give it meaning. If you enjoy collecting hats, or travelling around the country on your motorbike and
your job pays for that, then this can be reason enough to do it. Some work only as much as they need to and find
their raison d’etre in volunteer work, or caring for family and friends. The key, it would seem, is being content with
your personal choices.

Source: BBC

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WORK AND MEANING

4 Reading comprehension

Read the article and choose the correct endings a - g for the sentences.

1. When asked about their personal sense of purpose in a survey, 7 out of 10 people responded that
it ...

2. Employees who do work which ...

3. The need to be helpful to other people ...

4. The ability to be creative in their work ...

5. Community is important to the human condition and feeling connected to others in ...

6. There are those who see work as a means to pursue their interests in their free time and don’t feel
....

7. Overall, if you know you are in a situation due to your own choices, this is what ...

a. ... was defined by their work.

b. ... is meaningful to them are likely to work harder and stay longer with that company.

c. .... a need to find meaning in their work.

d. ... a work team can be very rewarding.

e. ... is a key motivation to some, as they can see the way they are improving lives for others.

f. ... is vital to having a feeling of control.

g. ... is essential for some people.

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WORK AND MEANING

5 Idioms of success
Look at the idioms in the box. Use them to replace the words in bold in the following sentences. You
may have to change the form of some of the words.

• to have a long way to go

• to have got what it takes
• to get something off the ground
• to do well for yourself
• to be better late than never
• to wish someone the best of luck with something
• to do something to good effect
• to make your mark on something

1. After he left university, Stanton used his degree in business and economics well and quickly found
work as an advisor.

2. I’d love to really have a huge impact on the film industry and make a film that everyone would talk
about for years and years to come.

3. I’ve made a good start in my first business, but I still need to make a lot more progress before I’m
where I want to be in life.

4. I was 49 years old before I really found what I wanted to do with my life. It’s good that I found it
rather than not finding it at all, I suppose.

5. He’s talking about becoming a professional footballer. I mean, he’s good but I don’t know if he has
the skills that he needs to do that.

6. My manager is leaving tomorrow after working here for over ten years, so we’re having a small
party to say we hope he will be successful.

7. My sister worked as a cook after she left school, but she’s been very successful and now owns
three restaurants.

8. It took me about three years to really start having success with my photography business, but
I’ve been making a decent living from it for several years now.

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WORK AND MEANING

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What do you hope you will have made your mark on in twenty years from now?
2. Who do you know who has done very well for themselves? What did they do?
3. When you were at school, did you think you had what it takes to be successful? Why/Why not?
4. How long did it take you to get your career off the ground? What have you done that really
helped?
5. Are you happy with what you have, or do you think you still have a long way to go before you will
have done what you want to do with your life?
6. What lessons or things you learned from experience have you put to good effect to help you in
your career?

6 Listening for gist

Listen to three people talk about finding meaning in their work. Underline the correct option for each
speaker.

1. Speaker 1 now works as a photographer/banker/sales person/baker/teacher/lawyer.

2. Speaker 2 now works as a photographer/banker/sales person/baker/teacher/lawyer.

3. Speaker 3 now works as a photographer/banker/sales person/baker/teacher/lawyer.

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WORK AND MEANING

7 Listening comprehension
Read the statements and complete the table by ticking the correct box if it’s true for that speaker.

Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3

1. I invested a lot of
money in chasing my
dream job.

2. I feel like people I

knew when I was
growing up judge
what I do.

3. I’m excited about

the chance to do a
trip in the near future
where I can follow my
passion.

4. My main
motivation when I left
school was making
money.

5. I really enjoy being

part of a team at
work.

6. An activity that
started as an interest
in my free time
became a way of
earning money.

7. I get a lot of
happiness from seeing
other people feel so
happy.

8. My salary is lower
now than it used to
be.

9. I found when I
started doing my
dream job that the
reality was different
from the idea.

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WORK AND MEANING

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Which people in the listening task have the most similar ideas about work to you? Explain your
answer.
2. Do you find meaning in your job? If so, what is it about your job that gives it meaning?
3. Is there any part of your job that is creative? What is it?
4. Do you think it’s more important to make good money or do a job that you like? Why?
5. Do you think it is possible to do a job that is meaningful and also pays you very well? Why/Why
not?
6. Do you spend a lot of time outside of your job doing things you love to do? What are they?

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