Speaking Up About Meaningful Work: Navigating Its Power and Pitfalls

A Medical Center Hour and CCI Learning Series
Speaker: Andrew Soren
Founder and CEO of Eudaimonic by Design

Work is a defining part of our identities, relationships, and sense of purpose. It can be one of the most meaningful aspects of our lives, driving engagement, organizational commitment, and well-being. Yet, the pursuit of meaningful work also comes with risks—over-identification, exploitation, and burnout.
In this talk, leading expert in applied positive psychology, Andrew Soren, unpacks the paradox of meaningful work, exploring both its transformative potential and hidden challenges. Drawing on cutting-edge research from psychology and organizational behavior, he examines how meaningful work is created, where it manifests, and why it can be both an asset and a liability. Most importantly, Soren shares evidence-based strategies for fostering sustainable approaches to meaningful work, emphasizing the vital role of open dialogue. By giving voice to meaning in the workplace, individuals and organizations can navigate its complexities with greater awareness, resilience, and ethical clarity.
Provided by the University of Virginia School of Medicine and School of Nursing
Andrew Soren is the Founder and CEO of Eudaimonic by Design, a global network of facilitators, coaches and advisors who share a passion for well-being and believe organizations must be designed to enable it. Together they harness the best of scholarship and years of experience to advise organizations and design systems that unlock potential and bring out the best in people.
For the past 25 years, Andrew has worked with some of the most recognized brands, non-profits and public sector teams to co-create values-based cultures, develop positive leadership, and design systems that empower people to be their best.
He regularly writes and speaks about how to apply the science of wellbeing at work. His most recent article, Meaningful Work, Well-Being, and Health: Enacting a Eudaimonic Vision, was just published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Since 2013, Andrew has been part of the instructional team at the University of Pennsylvania’s internationally renowned Master of Applied Positive Psychology program. He is a member of the board for the International Positive Psychology Association and was Chair of its 8th World Congress on Positive Psychology held in Vancouver, Canada in July 2023.
He was a senior advisor in Governance, Culture and Leadership at LRN and he spent 13 years at BMO Financial Group, one of Canada’s largest banks, where he led strategy in both marketing and human resources, focusing on brand revitalization, leadership development and the co-creation of high performance culture.
Andrew is an ICF certified coach through the Co-Active Training Institute (formerly the Coaches Training Institute).
He is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.