What Labor Day Should Celebrate
Our best work brings value to others and brings out our best selves
Whether it’s Pride Month, Christmas, or Mother’s Day, most holidays come with an element of reflection and remembrance. Labor Day was initially conceived as a day to recognize the U.S. labor movement (unions) at the end of the 19th century. Today, the landscape of factories and unionization looks much different, and Labor Day is mainly seen as the end of summer and the start of the sprint to get things done before the holidays hit. But I think it’s worth rethinking the meaning of Labor Day and reflecting on how the work we do improves the lives of others.
While the business world of today is a long way from heated labor contract negotiations, unsafe work conditions, and adversarial management oversight, we’ve got a new set of challenges. In developed nations, it is becoming more difficult to hire, motivate and retain the knowledge workers that are critical to an information economy. High productivity, low unemployment, and a broader social safety net mean that few people have to work an awful job to survive. Remote work, The Great Resignation, quiet quitting, freelance marketplaces, and side hustles further show the shift in power to the “labor” side of business. Leaders today are struggling to adjust.
When things seem to be changing quickly, it’s often best to step back and look at the big picture.
Companies are effectively small communities organized to work together toward a common purpose. Originally, the Theory of the Firm was that business owners and workers came together because it was more efficient (high stability, lower transaction costs) to commit to cooperating. Businesses lock in set labor costs, and workers lock in stable salaries.
But today’s worker wants more than a salary and a different kind of purpose. Money is almost always just a de-motivator—we don’t want to be paid unfairly—but it rarely inspires people to raise their game and creates shallow pride, if any. There’s less interest in keeping up with the neighbors’ toys and more recognition of the value of time. In just a handful of years, we’ve moved from Work-Life Balance to Work-Life Integration. We have to work less, yet we want to work on something more.
Experts in science, philosophy, and religion increasingly agree that the key to happiness and meaning lies in laboring for others. People who volunteer live longer. Recent research on the modern firm shows that workers who share the values of their employer—especially in helping others—are happier and more productive at work.
On the other hand, “leaving” society and the labor market can cause harm. Historically, one of the most ancient punishments was banishment. Today, we have research showing that retired people “were 40% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who were still working.” As a social species, we are programmed to work together for mutual success and our bodies and minds reward us when we do so.
Leaders of today’s firm must elevate their teams to a united, higher purpose of helping others.
If you’re looking to learn this skill, I suggest you get to know some startup founders. First, most are personally motivated by the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others. We tap into the potential social benefit of our work because it is more powerful than the promise of money in getting us through the tedious process and long odds that it takes to get something off the ground. Feedback is precious to help us build better—but it also is proof your company is making an impact.
Second, early-stage startups can’t afford the high salaries and benefits of a traditional, established company. So all they can afford are people working for something more than maximizing their earnings. Funny how these people seem to work harder and love their jobs more than their corporate counterparts. In war, an army that is motivated has what is called a Force Multiplier. No wonder so many startups are disrupting legacy leaders.
And whether you’re leading a startup or a Fortune 500, your job as a leader is to continually remind your team of the positive impact their efforts are directly making on others’ lives. Big data and numbers can be useful, but the best is direct individual feedback. Back in my early career as a brand manager on Mr. Clean, I used to pass around the handwritten letters we received from people who loved Magic Eraser. Flash forward, and now we’re Slacking each other App Store reviews and screenshots of texts from thankful candidates. These real, human stories connect deeply and are ingrained in our memories—keeping us motivated and keeping our customers’ needs top-of-mind.
Let’s make Labor Day a recognition and celebration of what our work should be about: Making a positive impact on others’ lives through the work we do for most of our waking hours. And this is the best way to motivate yourself to get out of bed in the morning. Thank YOU for all the work you do for us.
Bob Gilbreath is a 2x-exit entrepreneur and co-founder of Hearty, a curated matchmaking service that combines top software developers with early-stage, venture-backed startups.