Contributions Matter: Powerful Results Happen When Leaders Value Employees

 

I remember sitting around the dinner table as a young child, listening to my mother and father converse about their day.

Usually, the conversation was about my father’s day at work. I remember hearing him mention the “Old Man,” which was the nickname of my father’s boss, who owned the construction company where he worked.

Dinner conversations about the “Old Man” were an almost nightly routine at home. I listened quietly as my dad talked about his trials and tribulations at work.

One day the routine nightly conversation changed abruptly: Dad was unexpectedly let go after 18 dedicated years to the “Old Man.”

That had a significant impact on him and our family.

Maybe you can relate to that experience.

People Need to Know They Matter in the Workplace

In my new book, The Deeply Human Workplace: Tap into What People Need, Build Commitment on Your Teams, and Create a Workplace that Employees Love, I share that story of my dad and the “Old Man.”

I use his story to explore several human workplace needs, one of which is what we call:

Contributions Matter:

-the need to know that your opinion counts, that you are a valued member of a team

When we don’t feel that what we do matters, it cuts deeply into our sense of self-worth – and perhaps to our greatest fear that we all have as humans: that we are not good enough.

Think about the impact of that…

Now it becomes clear how important it is that people know that they matter in the workplace. They want to believe that their voice is heard and that their opinions count.

The Deeply Human Workplace explores the six Cs of ‘The Human Workplace Needs Model’ and provides leaders and teams with a roadmap for creating healthier, more aligned, and deeply human workplaces that thrive, even in the midst of the unparalleled change that our world is now facing.

Access the first chapter here: https://512solutions.com/freesample/

The Lasting Impact of Valuing People’s Contributions

Powerful results happen when people feel that their contributions do matter at work, and that they are valued. Team members are much more likely to listen to each other and to draw each other into conversation. Moreover, they can more easily appreciate the differences of opinions and ideas from the people around them, creating an environment that fosters collaboration rather than confrontation.

When we can recognize each other’s deeply rooted human needs – and when leaders create an environment that recognizes and meets most of those needs – the workplace atmosphere is transformed into one of engagement, commitment, and contribution.

Oh…and the way in which employees talk about their leader at the dinner table – that will likely change as well.

That’s what a deeply human workplace looks like.

For a complimentary sneak peek, access the first chapter: https://512solutions.com/freesample/

To your team’s success,

Sal