Formas sencillas para hacer que su equipo se sienta valorado

Asegurarse de que su gente se sienta importante los ayudará tanto a ellos como a usted a alcanzar sus objetivos. No deje que esto se le escape. Como gerente, esto debería ser una prioridad.

La investigación muestra que las personas que se sienten valoradas tienen más probabilidades de reportar una mejor salud física y mental, así como niveles más altos de compromiso, satisfacción y motivación, en comparación con aquellas que no se sienten así.

Si desea dirigir un equipo de personas comprometidas, productivas e inspiradas: personas que hacen un gran trabajo y se mantienen firmes, entonces necesita mostrarles que son valoradas.

Simple Ways to Make Your Team Feel Valued
Kate Lee
c. 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp.
Kate Lee is the Founder of By the Horns, a coaching and consulting firm.
From HBR.org

As human beings, our need to feel valued is innate and can be traced back millions of years. To meet the challenges of their environment, our ancestors formed social groups. Those who were part of a group were more likely to survive than those who weren’t, and the survival of the group depended on each member having value.

As we’ve evolved, we’ve carried with us this <a href=»https://hbr.org/2011/06/the-only-thing-that-really-mat.html» rel=»nofollow»>primal and survival-based need</a>. When we feel valued, whether it be in a relationship with a partner, friend or parent, we feel connected, confident and cared about. In the context of work, research shows that <a href=»https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/03/well-being#:~:text=Conducted%20online%20among%201%2C714%20adults,to%20those%20who%20do%20not» rel=»nofollow»>people who feel valued</a> are more likely to report better physical and mental health — as well as higher levels of engagement, satisfaction and motivation — compared to those who don’t.

As a manager, what steps can you take to recognize and honor this need?

The popular answer to this question is often a combination of empathy, compassion, acknowledgment and recognition. While this advice is not wrong, different approaches may resonate better with different people, as the actual feeling of being valued is very personal.

Here are a few suggestions for how to make people feel important and respected at work.

GET TO ‘REALLY’ KNOW YOUR PEOPLE.

You can’t meet someone’s needs if you don’t know what those needs are. To figure this out, dig a little deeper into your relationship with each team member.

Ask yourself:

How well do I know my direct reports?

What are their goals?

What motivates them?

What excites them about the work they’re doing?

What challenges do they face at work (i.e. lack of diversity, not feeling heard, fear of public speaking) or at home (i.e. parenting, caretaking, health issues).

When you take the time to know the people you lead, you can personalize your management approach and, in doing so, show your team members that you value them — both as a group and as individuals.

MAKE DEVELOPMENTAL CONVERSATIONS A HABIT.

Asking people about their goals, motivations and what excites them is not something that you do just once. If this is not currently a part of your management style, career coach Rebecca Fraser-Hill cautions not to spring the very first conversation on your team members. Instead, give people some time to prepare. For instance, before your next one-on-one, let your direct report know that you’d like to spend some time discussing their career goals and experiences at the company. Provide them with a few questions to think about ahead of time, and ask whether they’d like to respond via email or wait and share their answers with you during the meeting.

Questions you can ask include:

What are your personal developmental goals for the coming month? The coming year?

What are you most excited about right now?

What motivates you?

What would you like to learn?

What can I do to help you in your current role?

What are your career goals? Are there ways I can help you move closer to these goals?

Regardless of how they choose to respond (via email or in-person), when you meet, push them to dig a bit deeper. Use open-ended questions that demonstrate your genuine curiosity.

Going forward, make development conversations part of your regular check-ins, using them to touch base about the goals you set at least once a month. When you make developmental conversations an ongoing practice, you show people that you are invested in them, their career and their future.

TELL, BUT ALSO SHOW.

Over the years, my clients have shared many stories of not feeling valued because their manager said one thing and did something else, or nothing at all. One woman I worked with shared that, when she was promoted, her new manager went on and on about how thrilled he was to have her on the team and how sorely her expertise was needed. Over the next few months, he continued to shower her with praise in their one-on-one conversations. However, in team meetings, the long-standing members of the team constantly interrupted her, dismissed her opinions and often “lost” her contributions.

Showing your reports that you value them by backing your words with action and advocating for them is critical. This means when you say you are going to do something — whether it’s advocating for an employee in public or behind closed doors, pushing for someone to get a raise, or simply acknowledging someone’s work more often — you do it. If the action you carry out isn’t visible to the employee, don’t forget to follow up with them and let them know what you’ve done, what the outcome was and any next steps you’re going to take.

GIVE GENEROUSLY.

Recent <a href=»https://whc.workhuman.com/rs/862-JIQ-698/images/wh-unleashing-the-human-element-at-work-transforming-workplaces-through-recognition.pdf?mkt_tok=ODYyLUpJUS02OTgAAAGFDCYUeUUuK7Zuv3UVtxGBcQeYMrfFxskp6zh3XoHTRoKAiHlRsrN-k1U4EXlHzJjvfJTfn7NywXvRfMwcO3Fq7kDuGgBFykw291wjldRidoiZIw» rel=»nofollow»>research by Gallup and workhuman</a> found that 40% of people reported receiving recognition from their manager just a few times a year or less. When asked how often they would like to receive recognition from their manager, 21% said a few times a week or more, while 59% said a few times a month or more.

The same research showed that the impact of more frequent recognition is significant. When people receive recognition only a few times a year from a manager, they are five times more likely to be disengaged, 74% more likely to say they don’t plan to be at their organization in one year and 27% more likely to be struggling. Further, the research found that while private recognition is often described as personal and meaningful, public recognition showcases an employee’s value and magnifies the amount of recognition given. When people witness recognition, they often extend it themselves, resulting in a ripple effect that can be felt throughout an organization.

What does this mean for you? Recognize your employees — publicly and privately — and do it often. In your one-on-one meetings, make it a habit to acknowledge at least one thing your direct report should be proud of that month (or week). If someone has commented on their great attitude or given you kudos based on their work, tell them. In team meetings, commit to speaking up about one positive thing the group has accomplished.

If you want to lead a team of engaged, productive and inspired people — people who do great work and stick around — then you need to <em>show them</em> that they’re valued. Ensuring that your people feel important will help both them and you reach your goals. Don’t let this slip through the cracks. As a manager, this should be a top priority.