In this video, Nick Kemp suggests an intriguing concept: the idea of a "professional ikigai," also known as hatarakigai. Unlike the well-known Venn diagram model often associated with ikigai, hatarakigai focuses on finding purpose and satisfaction in the workplace.
He explains how hatarakigai balances internal and external motivators, like feeling connected with coworkers, using your skills in a meaningful way, and contributing to a collective goal. Compensation, resources, and a supportive environment all play a role in shaping this sense of purpose.
Using your skills in a meaningful way
Nick: That's something Ken Mogi said to me, it can be something private and might be something that a Japanese person won't discuss, they'll keep it to themselves. But yeah, we know Japanese really don't discuss the word, it's something they feel. And unfortunately, it's something many Japanese also don't feel.
But I do think there is this professional ikigai, I guess it’s one way to describe it; that's not based on that Venn diagram model. But there is a paper, actually, I found on hatarakigai, so we could frame professional ikigai as hatarakigai.
And there was this argument of a balance of internal and external motivators. So obviously, internal motivators might be related to work motivation theory, and the things that came up were feeling like you had a sense of meaningful relationship among your coworkers; that you're using your skills and abilities in a meaningful way.
You were working towards something both as an individual but part of the group. And then of course, you wanted to be paid well, but you also wanted your workplace to have certain facilities, and that you could have these resources so that you could do your work.
I've always thought, and I'm not saying this that we should do this, but I've always felt that Marc Winn probably should’ve merged the Venn diagram with hatarakigai rather than ikigai, that would have been a bit more accurate.