Last month, we wrote a couple of posts sharing a framework we created called the Mattering Matrix. Those two posts were titled: The Power of Being Seen and The Importance of Seeing You.

We developed this framework a couple of years ago to help leaders understand how to demonstrate to the people they work with that they matter. Part of this framework is to make sure that people feel seen.

Our Mattering Matrix is one tool for leaders and managers in organizations that value respect, psychological safety, and equity. It can support efforts to change systemic and institutional bias because it’s a way to understand and work with the power of genuinely seeing people and being seen by others.

Last week, we discussed the importance of valuing your unique gifts and talents and caring about and for yourself.
 
This week, we’re sharing some ways to use this framework in your leadership so that the people in your world feel seen, feel heard, and believe that they matter to you.
 
In order for your team to believe that they matter to you, you need to demonstrate to them that you genuinely care about them AND that you value their unique skills and contributions.

Employees believe they matter when
they feel both valued
for their contributions
and feel genuinely cared for.

We’ve updated the workbook from last week to now include an exercise on ways to use the Mattering Matrix in your leadership. Take a moment to download the full Mattering Workbook and explore if you’re mattering to yourself and demonstrating to others that they matter to you.

Consider the people you lead in work, your community, and your world. Think about how you demonstrate that you care about them:

  • How can you communicate to them that you care about them as a person?
  • Do you ask and really listen to how they’re doing through the impact of COVID on their lives?
  • Do you remember that they said they were having surgery or that their son or daughter just had a baby?

Then consider how you communicate that you value who they are:

  • Do you know what they bring to the table?
  • If it’s your direct report, do you communicate how they’re contributing to the company’s success?
  • If it’s your kids, do you let them know you see their humor, or problem-solving skills, or their tenacity on the soccer field?

We encourage you to download the full Mattering Workbook (includes content on both the mattering to yourself and the demonstrating to others that they matter). Use this to reflect on ways that you can move closer to the intersection of care and value in your own life and in your leadership.

When employees, colleagues, and loved ones
believe they matter to you,
they’ll lean in to help you create success.

Whether it’s people that work with you as employees, partner with you as colleagues, or navigate life together with you as a family, you’ll find deeper engagement and collaboration when you’ve demonstrated that they matter to you.

Let us know how you demonstrate to the people in your world that they matter to you.

If you’d like to learn how to bring this skill to your world, contact us today.