The power of mattering How leaders can create a culture of significance

Ensuring employees feel like their work matters is critical to retaining an engaged workforce, according to this solid guide. Leadership coach Mercurio (The Invisible Leader) cites studies showing that people who felt "disrespected, unincluded, and unvalued" were 10 times more likely to leave their employer than those seeking better pay or benefits during the Great Resignation of 2021, and teams that agreed with the statement "My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person" tended to be more productive and have less turnover. To make employees feel valued, Mercurio encourages managers to acknowledge the achievements of their direct reports, demonstrate interest in their feelings and perspectives, and highlight the positive impact of their contributions. These suggestions aren't new, but the bounty of anecdotes illustrate the many ways to put them into practice. For instance, Mercurio tells how one distribution center manager keeps morale high by taking notes on her employees' personal lives and professional concerns so she can follow up with them later, and how United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz traveled across the country to talk with employees about their concerns with the company, contributing to a turnaround in employee satisfaction and share price. Managers will appreciate the guidance on adopting a more empathetic leadership style. Agent: Leah Spiro, Riverside Creative Management. (May)