Being Valued at Work

Have you ever felt under-appreciated at work? How does that make you feel? It's definitely not pleasant. The goal for retention of top leaders and employees is to make them feel and be valued. We all know that human capital is the top resource for any organization, even in this AI generated world we now find ourselves in. So why is it that so many employees, team members and leaders do not feel valued? Here are the top 5 reasons and what we can do about it. Let's explore this together.

The Top Five Reasons People Feel They are Not Valued at Work:

1. Lack of Respect: Here we find that the person is not being listened to in conversations with leaders or peers. That their ideas are quickly dismissed. That their previous experience or expertise is not utilized or important.
2. Lack of Recognition: No matter what their contributions, time, insights, knowledge or skills demonstrated, their efforts fall on deaf ears. They are no applauded for their excellence or results. Or they are only recognized in a small group setting, keeping their abilities quiet to the larger organization. Knowing someone is recognizing your work and contributions goes a long way to creating a retention mindset.
3. False Promises: That promotion that keeps eluding them, no matter how hard they work. That top performance review that keeps getting pushed. That raise or bonus that might come next quarter, Those stock options that seem to be just out of reach. The manager that tells you what you want to hear, but it's always just words with no action. The 'kick the can down the road' mindset that keeps the employee working hard and achieving the necessary results, but with no reward in site.
4. Lack of Challenge: When you are just going through the motions each day, not learning, not growing, not using your skills, you feel less valued. That groundhog day feeling of doing the same thing over and over again leads to boredom, apathy and disengagement.
5. Lack of Appreciation: A simple thank you is sometimes all it takes. Not experiencing gratitude for a job well done is very deflating. Even if it's part of your job responsibilities or duties, being appreciated just feels good. Having that support and kindness brings unity and teamwork together.

"A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected." Our friends at extramadness.com created the graphic and this is such a powerful statement. It is so easy to say 'thank you' or 'I value your opinion" to anyone that does a good job or accomplishes a task on time or on budget. Why not appreciate all contributions as they occur? Seems simple enough, however, throughout my career, I have seen more leaders take things for granted and expect things to be done, many times with the 'their way or the highway' approach, that appreciation doesn't come often enough.

Creating a Valued Culture

Feeling valued is extremely important to retaining top talent. Creating valued people at work starts with leadership. How a leader communicates. Does the leader follow through on their commitments? Does the leader provide respect and professionalism on a consistent basis? Are their recognition programs and awards for top tier employees? Have you established a high impact player group for thye next generation of leaders? Creating a retention-based culture that thrives on building self-worth, self-confidence, challenge and growth leads to people felling valued. Where honesty and integrity rule the day. Where people can believe in the words they are told. Where trust is cultivated and words are followed with action.

It is great to be liked, however, your goal needs to become valued. Valued for your gifts, uniqueness, expertise, knowledge, efforts, time, contributions, experience, results, support and skills. Leaders need to recognize results and contributions that led to those results. They need to applaud a job well done and make people feel special as often as possible. Leaders need to embrace respect for their team and the ideas shared. They need to be thankful they have specific skills, knowledge and expertise to utilize. They must be true to their word and take action in support of their team members.

When you feel valued, you perform better. By providing timely and meaningful recognition, showing appreciation along the journey, and having authentic gratitude are the best ways that I've seen in making people feel valued. Valued people enjoy what they do and who they do it with. As a Culture Coach, I have seen some organizational cultures that work, and many that need improvement. The first step is awareness around your actual culture and work environment. Then you must follow through around areas for improvement to make people the most important part of your organization. By taking action to make your people feel valued, you are well on your way to creating a special, valued culture, where people feel valued.

Mark Krajnik, LSSGB, CPC, (The Culture Coach) is the CEO at Performance Mindset Associates (PMA). Mark is a tenured Talent Strategist and experienced people leader. He is an Executive Talent Leader in recruitment operations, executive search, talent acquisition, L&D, culture coaching, human capital consulting, change management, and talent management. He is very passionate about people, building high-performance teams, creating retention-focused cultures, and career development. He brings a focus on performance, execution, creative problem solving, and goal achievement. Please go to performancemindset.co for more information or send an email to [email protected] .