Minute With Mallon: Your Work Matters!

Sep 22

Welcome to Minute with Mallon!

Something I Taught:

This morning, I was working with the leadership team of a large multinational electrical engineering corporation.

I’ve had the privilege of partnering with them for over 11 years now, and let me tell you—you won’t find a finer group of leaders anywhere.

Unfortunately, the economy has slowed down for their particular line of products, and they’ve had to make some very tough decisions over the past few months. These weren’t personal—they were purely business decisions. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt.

Our focus was employee motivation. We looked at the top 6 motivators—and more importantly, how to actually bring them to life inside the company.

“Employees are most motivated when they believe their work matters.”

Here's a survey insight: McKinsey found that employees who find their work meaningful are 4x more engaged.

People want to know their work matters—to the company, the customer, and the bigger picture. When their job feels meaningful, they show up more engaged, more committed, and more willing to give their best.

With this in mind, we spent some time digging into what really matters to each individual employee at the company—from the folks on the front line to the people in the office—and how to uncover what motivates them personally.

We talked through some specific ways to help frontline employees connect the dots—to see how their daily work ties into the bigger picture and why it truly matters.

We also explored areas in the plant where employees might start to feel like “just a number” and how we can shift that sentiment by making them feel seen, valued, and connected to the company’s overall mission.

It’s always fascinating to see what happens when you bring a great group of people together, ask the right questions, and give them space to think. They come up with powerful, creative solutions that don’t just solve problems—they make everyone’s work life better.

Take a moment and imagine what would happen if every leader in your company truly understood what purpose and meaning looked like for each individual on their team.

"When leaders care enough to ask, people show up differently."

At the end of our session, I was reminded again why I do this work.

When leaders take the time to listen deeply, ask the right questions, and genuinely care about their people, something powerful happens. They create environments where motivation isn’t forced—it’s fueled.

And when motivation is high, so is performance, loyalty, and overall morale.

"Motivation isn’t pushed—it gets pulled."

It's not about gimmicks or quick fixes. It’s about helping every employee see that their work matters—and that they matter.

What’s one thing you could do this week to better understand what gives your team purpose and meaning at work?

Even a five-minute conversation can spark surprising insight—and connection.

If you’re not sure where to start, hit reply. I’ll send you a few practical prompts you can use with your team.

Something to Ponder:

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”

General George Patton

Something I Learned:

If you’re looking for a book that’s full of simple, powerful wisdom you can actually use, check out Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly.

It’s like having a wise mentor hand you a lifetime of practical, bite-sized truths, each one designed to help you think clearer, live better, and stay grounded in what really matters.

Here's just a few nuggets:

● The biggest lie we tell ourselves is “I don’t need to write this down because I will remember it.”

● If we all threw our troubles into a big pile and we saw everyone else’s problems we would immediately grab ours back.

● You will spend one third of your life in your bed sleeping, and almost another third in your chair sitting. It’s worth investing in a great bed and fantastic chair.