How to help people feel they are doing purposeful and meaningful work: Strategy #6.2 – Provide challenges and help people make progress in their work.

We have previously published a series of people leadership strategies around the themes of people feeling supported, valued and safe; creating a ‘team environment’; supporting learning and growth; empowering staff and building autonomy; ensuring clarity of roles and expectations; and creating meaning and purpose.

Practical Ideas Guides

We are now going to explore the actionable steps that you can take to enable the suggested strategies and actions. This is one in a series of 31 posts providing specific descriptions of the actions in practice. (There is one practical idea guide for each people leadership strategy)

So, this post focuses on the theme of helping people feel they are doing purposeful and meaningful work. In a previous post we have talked through 5 overarching strategies to support people feeling engaged in doing purposeful and meaningful work:

6.1 Recognise the contribution that individuals are making

6.2 Provide challenges and help people make progress in their work

6.3 Reinforce the importance of people’s work

6.4 Align individual aspirations & strengths with team and organisational goals

6.5 Understand individual’s goals, aspirations and strengths

In this post we take a deep dive into the specific strategy of:

6.2 Provide challenges and help people make progress in their work.

Stretching people with achievable challenges whilst supporting them to make progress in their endeavours really helps tap into people’s inner purpose and drive. The ‘progress principle’ is based on the finding that what is most important to people’s mood, motivation and perceptions of the workplace is making progress in meaningful work. So, here are some of the actions that can be taken to put this leadership strategy into practice:

1. Give people challenging assignments and projects that connect to their individual aspirations and goals.

To grow a high-performing and committed team, look for ways to align challenging assignments with each team member’s personal and professional aspirations. When people see that you’re genuinely interested in helping them grow in ways that matter to them, they’re more likely to fully engage in their work and feel valued.

Start by getting to know what motivates each individual on your team – not just their current skills, but where they hope to go. This can happen in formal development planning sessions, but informal one-on-one coffee chats often build deeper insight and trust.

Try asking open-ended questions such as:

What parts of your work do you find most energising?
When do you feel like you’re ‘in the zone’ or doing your best work?
What impact would you love to have through your work?
Looking ahead 10 years, what’s something you’d regret not trying or achieving?

As you learn more about their interests, strengths, and ambitions, keep an eye out for assignments or projects that will both challenge them and build capability in those areas. When you assign such a project, frame it as a development opportunity: explain why you’re choosing them, how it connects to their goals, and what growth you hope it unlocks for them.

To maximise the benefit of stretch assignments, also consider:

Pairing them with a mentor or coach
Connecting them with a buddy or peer support
Checking in regularly to offer feedback and encouragement

Your goal is to ensure they feel both stretched and supported – confident enough to take on the challenge but not left to navigate it alone.

2. Regularly enquire of individuals as to any barriers/blockages that are hindering their progress to achieving their personal goals. Explore how you may be able to help address those barriers.

Start by ensuring you understand their personal or professional goals (see the previous guidance on uncovering aspirations). Then, make it a habit to ask questions that uncover hidden blockers – whether they’re related to time, confidence, skills, systems, or relationships.

Take a coaching stance in these conversations. Your role isn’t to fix things for them, but to create the space for them to reflect, problem-solve, and grow. That said, be ready to step in with targeted support where it makes sense.

Here are some coaching-style questions you can use:

What might be getting in the way of progress toward your goals?
What’s one thing that, if changed, could unlock momentum for you?
Imagine you’re three years in the future and you’ve made real progress – what do you think helped you get there?

Once the barriers are clearer, help them explore solutions by asking:

What are some actions you could take to remove or reduce this barrier?
What would you say to a friend facing this same issue?
What might a bolder version of you try in this situation?
What support do you need from me – or others – to move forward?

When needed, offer practical support (e.g., reprioritising tasks, connecting them with others, providing air cover, or removing organisational roadblocks), but always return ownership to them. The aim is to build both self-awareness and agency; while showing you’re in their corner.

3. Regularly acknowledge progress, no matter how small, that individuals are making in delivering on their personal goals.

While major achievements deserve celebration, it’s often the small wins – the steps people take toward their personal goals – that matter most in building confidence, momentum, and motivation.

As a team leader, make it a regular habit to notice and acknowledge progress, even when it’s subtle. This might include:

Solving a tricky recurring issue
Making headway on a long-term goal
Showing resilience after a setback
Taking initiative in a new area

These moments matter. They often represent the kind of growth and effort that fuels long-term success.

Here’s how you can build this into your leadership practice:

1. Use your one-on-ones strategically
Dedicate time in each catch-up to ask questions like:

What’s something you’ve made progress on recently, even if it’s small?

What have you done this week that moved you closer to one of your goals?

Acknowledge their effort and, where possible, connect the dots between that progress and their longer-term development aspirations.

2. Share recognition beyond your team
A well-timed email, message, or conversation from a senior leader can have a powerful impact. If someone on your team has made meaningful progress, consider:

Looping in a senior manager to offer a quick note of encouragement
Calling it out in a wider team or cross-team meeting (with their permission)

3. Look for informal moments to give encouragement
Recognition doesn’t always need to be formal. A comment in a hallway, a Teams chat reaction, or a quick word after a meeting can go a long way. Keep it specific and authentic. For example:

“The way you handled that client pushback showed real growth – great to see!”
“I noticed you’ve been chipping away at that project. It’s really coming together.”

4. Make progress visible
When possible, help individuals see how far they’ve come. This could be as simple as referring back to earlier goals or challenges and pointing out their development since then.

4. Identify and provide the key resources that individuals need to make progress in their work.

As a manager, your role isn’t just to acknowledge your team’s progress – it’s also to actively enable it. That means ensuring individuals have access to the right resources and support to move forward confidently and effectively in their work.

Resources aren’t just tools and budgets. While tangible inputs like technology, staff time, and funding are critical, equally important are the less visible forms of support:

Timely guidance or decision-making
Administrative or systems support
Introductions to key stakeholders
Clear permissions or authorisations
Protection from competing priorities

To support your team more effectively, try the following practical steps:

1. Start With a Resource Conversation

When launching a project or setting annual goals, ask each team member:

“What resources or support do you think you’ll need to make good progress on this?”

This question prompts individuals to think ahead – and gives you early insight into potential blockers or gaps.

2. Revisit Resource Needs Regularly

Use your regular 1:1 meetings to check in on:

Whether they have what they need to stay on track
Any new barriers that have emerged
Specific actions you could take to help – whether that’s escalating an issue, reallocating time, or brokering connections

You don’t need to solve everything – but demonstrating that you’re actively listening and advocating for your team builds trust and momentum.

3. Map and Track Common Needs

As patterns emerge across the team (e.g., multiple people lacking admin support or stakeholder access), look for ways to address those at a team or organisational level. You could:

Pool resources or reprioritise tasks
Escalate systemic issues to your manager
Collaborate with peers to share solutions

4. Be Transparent About Constraints

You may not be able to meet every need. That’s OK – what matters is that your team understands why, and sees that you’re doing what you can. Keep the conversation open, and look for creative workarounds together.

5. Actively manage the authorising environment to retain the support for individual’s work.

Your team’s ability to make meaningful progress depends not only on their own skills and effort but also on the support their work receives from others in the organisation – particularly those with influence and authority.

When that support is missing, progress can stall, priorities get questioned, and motivation drops. As a manager, part of your role is to ensure your team’s work is recognised as legitimate, aligned, and supported – in other words, authorised.

What does managing the authorising environment mean?

It means actively engaging with the people and parts of the organisation that influence whether your team’s work is seen as important, supported, and worthy of attention. These might include:

Senior leaders
Cross-functional peers
Governance bodies
Project sponsors
Key stakeholders or partners

Four practical ways to manage the authorising environment

1. Engage Early and Clarify Support
When new work begins, speak directly with relevant senior stakeholders or decision-makers. Ask:

“What would visible support for this work look like from you?”
This helps you understand their expectations and make implicit support more explicit.

2. Keep Influencers in the Loop
Provide regular, concise updates to key stakeholders – not just when things go wrong. This helps maintain buy-in and shows that progress is happening. Even a short monthly email or informal check-in can go a long way.

3. Make Authorisation Visible to Your Team
Let your team know who supports their work and how. This boosts morale and gives team members confidence that their efforts matter. You might say:

“The Director was really pleased to see this moving forward – I shared your update at the portfolio meeting last week.”

4. Provide Clear Escalation Pathways
Help your team know how to escalate roadblocks – and follow through when they do. When issues are escalated:

Communicate what you’re doing to resolve it
Acknowledge their effort and judgment
Close the loop with outcomes

By consistently managing the authorising environment, you help remove invisible barriers to progress – and send a clear message to your team: their work matters, and they’re not alone in delivering it.

6. Make comments that connect their personal progress with achievement of organisational unit purpose and goals.

People are more engaged and motivated when they see how their work contributes to something larger. As a manager, you play a critical role in helping your team connect their day-to-day efforts with the broader goals of your organisational unit – especially for team leaders developing their leadership identity.

Here’s how to strengthen those connections in practical, repeatable ways:

1. Embed the Connection in Planning Documents

When building business or team plans, explicitly link key projects and activities to the organisational unit’s goals or outcomes. Use simple language – don’t assume the link is obvious.
In individual performance plans, clearly map each person’s responsibilities to unit goals and performance measures. Where possible, involve them in co-creating this, so they feel ownership of the connection.

2. Reinforce the Connection in Conversations

In one-on-one meetings, when acknowledging progress or unblocking challenges, add comments that show how their work moves the dial on team or unit objectives. For example:

“The way you handled that stakeholder issue means we’ve kept momentum on the project, which is one of our Q3 delivery priorities.”

This builds clarity, motivation, and a sense of value.

3. Use Written Acknowledgment Strategically

Occasionally send a short email or handwritten note thanking someone for their contribution – and link it to unit goals or values. For example:

“Thanks for stepping up to manage the schedule issue. That’s helped keep us on track to meet one of our key outcomes this quarter: reducing delivery delays.”

4. Leverage Senior Leaders to Amplify the Message

Where appropriate, ask a senior leader to acknowledge someone’s work – especially if it connects to a high-priority initiative. You could offer to draft a short message for them to personalise and send. This helps your team feel visible and valued by the broader organisation – not just within the team.

By consistently showing how individual contributions ladder up to unit goals, you help your team see the purpose in their work – and foster a stronger sense of pride, ownership, and alignment.

What Next?

Having read this practical guidance, some questions you may want to ask yourself might be:

Are there one or two ideas emerging for me that I might want to put into practice?
What is the smallest thing I could do that might have a positive impact?
How will I hold myself accountable for following through on my actions?

Good luck!

Practical Ideas Guides, Purpose, Strategies for purpose