Everyday you are leaving your Heart Print...

Stop Explaining the Work. Start Explaining the Value the Work Creates.

Lately, as I have been doing a deep dive into the what and how of my work, I’ve been thinking about how we describe our work.

When someone asks what we do, most of us instinctively reach for our job description. We explain our responsibilities, the meetings we facilitate, the strategies we create, the programs we lead, or the people we manage. We describe the work because that’s what we’ve always been taught to do.

But lately I’ve been wondering if we’re answering the wrong question.

Perhaps what people are really asking is, What changes because you do this work?

That question feels much more interesting to me because every role, no matter the title, creates human change.

A manager isn’t simply delivering feedback. They’re helping someone believe in themselves, stretch beyond what they thought was possible, and discover that accountability can feel like care instead of criticism.

A coach isn’t simply asking thoughtful questions. They’re helping another human being uncover answers that were already there, waiting to be trusted.

An HR Business Partner isn’t simply supporting leaders or navigating employee issues. They’re strengthening relationships, building trust, helping leaders grow into the people others want to follow, and creating the conditions where individuals and teams can flourish.

Even roles we don’t traditionally think of as “people roles” leave a human imprint. Designers shape emotion. Engineers create confidence through reliability. Finance leaders create stability. Marketers influence how people feel, connect, and remember.

The work is never just the work. It is always changing something in another person.

For years, whenever someone asked me what a Chief Heart Officer did, I found myself explaining coaching, culture, leadership development, organizational design, talent strategy, and employee experience. While all of those things are true, they never quite captured what I was trying to express.

Today, my answer is much simpler.

I help people become better leaders, stronger teammates, and more fully themselves so organizations can thrive.

The work hasn’t changed. Only the way I describe its value has.

That shift has reminded me of something I wrote in Be Yourself at Work: “our greatest contribution isn’t simply the work we produce; it’s the experience we create for the people around us. Every conversation, every decision, every interaction leaves an imprint. We are constantly shaping someone else’s experience of work, whether we realize it or not.”

Maybe that’s the work beneath the work.

So the next time someone asks what you do, resist the urge to begin with your title.

Instead, ask yourself: What human change does my work create?

I have a feeling that answer will tell people far more about you than your job description ever will.

Welcome to a new series I’m calling The Work Beneath the Work, where we’ll explore the invisible human dynamics that shape leadership, culture, careers, and our lives. Because while the work we do matters, it’s the people we help become that define our legacy.

♥️ Claude