Why Are We Here? by Jennifer Moss

WHY ARE WE HERE? by Jennifer Moss (The Burnout Epidemic) is subtitled “Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants” and I recently viewed an hour presentation on this new book supplied by Harvard Business Review Press. Clearly Moss’s work has wide appeal as attendees hailed from around the world.  Moss writes about the increasing disengagement, detachment, and disillusionment amongst members of the workforce, often citing both private (e.g., Gallup’s reports like one on State of the Global Workplace) and government (e.g., the CDC on health risks associated with lack of social connections) sources. Moss advocates for improving culture by devoting twenty minutes per week, noting that people want hope from their leaders and they need to see a future. Specifically, she suggests numerous activities such as celebrating milestones more frequently or telling more stories. Other ideas include “make the mundane meaningful,” save space for exploration, and initiate “stay” interviews. All of that seems to reflect offering respect for and listening to one’s workforce, which she approaches in the last two chapters on Belonging and Recognition. Notes and index represent about ten percent of this well-researched text. Moss admits “this was the hardest book I’ve written yet.” I think it may be hard for readers, especially leaders, to accept and internalize her many suggestions without guidance and some kind of checkpoints. I look forward to her future work and additional case studies. Listed in the Next Big Idea Club's January 2025 Must-Read Books.