You should be able to find value in every single employee or they should not be there.
Every human needs to feel valued. It’s part of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but it’s even more relevant than that. Since many of us spend more time working than anything else we do in life, feeling valued at work (or rather while working, in a post-covid era) is an employee need that organizations must figure out how to meet, if they want to thrive in the 21st century. A culture of value starts with Leadership valuing each other and their employees, and spreads throughout the organization.
Leaders should start with a review of how they fundamentally view humanity. In many world views, people were created in the image of the Divine. That alone gives humans value, and successful leaders recognize some level of that world view. People have incredible potential to grow and develop and change, in order to reach their full potential. If leaders give people opportunities to become all they were meant to be (Self-actualization is Maslow’s highest need), they will create employees who thrive! In order to give those opportunities, a leader first needs to know the person and what motivates them.
A good leader will help people discover and understand their strengths/interests/passions, and then help them align those strengths with their role in the organization (or help them find a role that aligns with their strengths) so they feel valued. A good leader will focus on helping individuals discover their unique abilities and strengths within an organization, and create structures where people have the ability to express those strengths. When people are “in the right seat” and thriving, they feel valued, and that leads to intrinsic motivation. Motivation leads to performance.
When we focus on their strengths, that will increase motivation, and performance will increase (if strengths are aligned with the right role). The only way we help people thrive is to help them figure out their individual strengths, energy, potential, passions, and interests and align those with their role. When we help do that, we help people thrive, and we uncover more value for them and for their team and organization. When people feel valued, it’s easier to find value in others (teammates, clients, family). Valued people value people. It is the basis of great culture and Organizational Clarity.
