What if meaning isn’t something you find in your job—but something you can create in any role, on any team, starting today?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, authors of Meaningful Work and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, to explore what it takes to unlock motivation in a world where paychecks alone aren’t enough.

Together, they unpack what really makes work feel worth doing—and why nearly 50% of our experience of meaning at work comes down to what leaders do. From simple gestures of acknowledgment to the deep impact of challenge and trust, Wes and Tamara lay out a practical framework to help managers build community, spark contribution, and foster growth—three pillars that fuel engagement and performance.

They also dive into how AI is reshaping the future of work—and why human skills like connection, creativity, and resilience aren’t going away. They’re becoming the most important differentiators of all.

If you’ve ever wondered how to retain top talent, spark motivation in your team, or build a culture that actually makes people want to show up—this episode is for you.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠"Why China’s 996 Work Culture Won’t Win The Future Of Work", to explore these ideas further.  

https://youtu.be/6smc_yH-h5E

Guest Information:

Wes Adams is the CEO of SV Consulting Group. He partners with Fortune 500s and scaling companies to develop high-impact leaders and design operating structures that support high performing teams. He is also a positive psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania where he studies the leadership practices and organizational structures that help employees thrive. He is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Tamara Myles. He lives in Atlanta, GA.

Tamara Myles is a speaker, author, professor, and entrepreneur specializing in the science of human flourishing at work. She helps leaders and organizations like Microsoft, KPMG, and MassMutual unlock the power of meaningful work to drive peak performance, innovation, and resilience. A faculty member at Boston College and a researcher and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Tamara’s work challenges assumptions about work, showing that when leaders make work meaningful, they create thriving teams and lasting impact. She is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Wes Adams. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

Chapters:

00:00 – What makes work meaningful today?
01:14 – What is meaningful work?
02:18 – Can any job feel meaningful?
03:45 – How leaders build community at work
06:01 – Why feedback fuels a sense of contribution
09:17 – Micro-moments of recognition that matter
10:27 – What is the right kind of challenge at work?
12:45 – Why meaning at work matters more today
14:45 – How AI is changing the role of human skills
17:05 – Will AI make work more meaningful—or less?
18:39 – Designing AI for human flourishing
20:25 – Practical ways to create meaningful work
22:19 – How leaders can stretch more people on their team
23:05 – What’s the big question we should be asking about work?
24:00 – What do we want people to do with time AI frees up?