Make People Feel Valued
Welcome to the #culturedrop. Every Tuesday, Galen Emanuele emails tools to advance leadership skills, team culture, and personal growth. No spam, just great content. Sign up now to get it in your inbox.
This shouldn’t need to be said, and yet, it does.
Making people feel valued. This is such a profoundly simple and powerful practice, especially in workplaces or leadership roles where building positive relationships and enhancing team morale are critical.
Intentional recognition has a gigantic impact on individual well-being and organizational health. Therefore, it only makes sense that this practice would be extremely commonplace but that’s just not the case. Some teams and leaders do this well, but it certainly not an overwhelming majority.
“People who feel valued bring a better version of themselves to the table.”
Why bother?
In any relationship — whether in a workplace, friendship, or family — showing appreciation to others transforms dynamics. People who feel valued bring a better version of themselves to the table. It sparks higher effort, creativity, and commitment from the receiver.
If you're in any kind of leadership role, this mindset is especially critical. Making people feel seen and appreciated doesn't just boost morale and improve team dynamics; it also drives retention and cultivates better relationships across the board.
When people feel valued, they're more likely to be and stay invested. It’s no different in an organization than in a close-knit group of friends or family. Extra boosts of recognition fuel the motivation to keep showing up wholeheartedly.
“It’s as simple as genuine, small gestures like going up to someone and saying, “Hey, I really appreciate this thing about you,” or “I love working with you because of the way you do XYZ.”
It’s so simple and easy to do.
The best part? You can do it for free. Making people feel valued isn’t complex. It’s as simple as genuine, small gestures like going up to someone and saying, "Hey, I really appreciate this thing about you," or "I love working with you because of the way you do XYZ." Taking the time and going out of your way to make a small, medium, or large thoughtful effort to make someone feel seen and valued has huge dividends. Not only to them, but it also feels really heartwarming to do.
It doesn’t have to cost anything and can mean the world to the person receiving it. Small acknowledgments like these can go a long way show people they're more than just a cog in the machine.
When leaders (and any humans) practice small, consistent acts of acknowledgment, they shape relationships of trust, loyalty, and positivity. It’s an investment in social capital. When you make people feel appreciated, you’re building goodwill that uplifts them and will also strengthen the entire team.
“Some people have a reluctance to compliment others or show appreciation.”
Don’t hold back.
Don't withhold kindness, compliments, or praise. Lifting others up and shining a little light on what makes them unique or valuable, cannot dim your own light.
Some people have a reluctance to compliment others or show appreciation. Whether that’s an ego thing, a resistance to being vulnerable, or just a lack of awareness, it’s a real bummer. Even sharing a few words of recognition can significantly brighten someone else's day, week, or even life. There is no reasonable benefit to holding back from doing that, especially when you see that it can act as fuel to keep the people around you motivated, inspired, and feeling genuinely seen.
A mantra.
Try for a couple days, or week, (or as long as you’re inspired to) adopting this mantra: “I make people around me feel valued, seen, and appreciated.” It’s actually such an easy habit to build. Recognize the strengths and contributions of others more frequently. It will help you build genuine connections, whether at work, with family, or any social group.
Practical Tip: Make it a goal to go out of your way to recognize at least one person each day for something they’ve done. It could be as simple as thanking a coworker for their effort, acknowledging a friend’s unique quality, or showing appreciation to family members for something they do. Ideally, this practice can become a part of how you move through the world, creating healthier relationships and more positive environments wherever you go.
Go be awesome.
Related Blogs:
Want more?
This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
MORE
