A Sense of Purpose

There is increasing focus now on 'wellbeing' as a measure of a countries relative position and progress rather than simply GDP. There are lots of different ways of looking at this and I came across one in the book 'The Coming Jobs War' by Jim Clifton. In some ways this is a different way of approaching our needs from those I mentioned earlier such as Maslow's hierarchy because it tends to look at the society level rather than just the  individual and is very much focused on the needs of the 21st century. Clifton proposes the following levels.

1. LAW AND ORDER. He says "absence of fear is the first of the new demands of world leadership." It doesn't relate directly to crime but its more about fear. It's not so much whether you are safe but whether you feel safe.

2. FOOD AND SHELTER. This one speaks for itself.

3. KEY INSTITUTIONS. Here Clifton is mainly talking about healthcare and education.

4. MOBILITY AND COMMUNICATION. It's not just physical mobility but also of "thought and expression".

5. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. Children need to be treated with dignity and be able to learn.

6. JOB CLIMATE.  The key question is whether it is a good time and place to find a good job.

7. JOB ENHANCEMENT. This focuses on whether a place creates jobs in which people can develop and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit.

He argues that for most Western Economies the first four are generally meet and so the challenge is all around the last three. His almost zealous focus on 'jobs' makes me a little uncomfortable but I would substitute 'purpose' which is often fulfilled from having a job and then I am in full agreement. Our leaders have to focus on ensuring that all sectors of our society have a real sense of purpose in their lives and that is often best meet by ensuring they have a rewarding job. That is a sure fire way of maximising well being.