The Belief

The more days I live, the more convinced I am that everyone has their own contributions to make that are helpful to others and meaningful to themselves. Their purpose is beyond having a job and earning a paycheck. This is the fundamental belief that drives us at PartnersCoach and is infused in our training, coaching and consulting work.

The Illustration

One of the most powerful stories that illustrates this belief is the three masons constructing a cathedral. There are numerous versions of this story, and most people are unaware that it is more than a myth. It is based in truth.

After the London fire of 1666, architect Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral. While surveying the building’s progress, he was curious about what the workforce thought about the project. He spoke to different workers to get their thoughts and discovered that masons doing the same job had different perspectives of what they were doing.

Quoting from Bruce Barton’s 1927 book, What Can A Man Believe,  he wrote:

“One morning he [Wren] passed among the workmen, most of whom did not know him, and of three different men engaged in the same kind of work he asked the same question: “What are you doing?” From the first he received the answer: “I am cutting this stone.’ From the second the answer was: “I am earning three shillings and six pence a day.” But the third man straightened up, squared his shoulders, and holding his mallet in one hand and chisel in the other, proudly replied: “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren to build this great cathedral.’”

The Reality

These perspectives are not mutually exclusive, and people may shift among them at different stages of their careers or even within the same job. For example, someone may start a job primarily for the paycheck. Soon they discover that they enjoy and take pride in what they do. Some realize that their work improves the lives of others and this is the primary motivator for what they do. The underlying “why” is what drives them to do what they do as they apply energy, determination and commitment.

Which of the three masons represent your perspective? Is your “why” evident in your excellence and attitude? Would others know your fundamental belief by the way you work?