From the course: Meeting the Needs of Employees and Driving Business Results

What it looks like to "see" people at work

From the course: Meeting the Needs of Employees and Driving Business Results

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What it looks like to "see" people at work

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- If ever walk into a meeting, the energy is high, the conversation is buzzing, and no one even notices you're there? Ever raise your hand to ask a question, but someone else gets called instead, even though your hand was up first. Have you ever left multiple messages for a colleague but never got a response? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have felt invisible at work. We all want to be seen no matter where we are, but at work, it's a minimum requirement. Visibility, in fact, is the first and most foundational of the four talent needs. We, at the Waymaker Change Group, think of it as acknowledging a person and considering their potential to positively impact the business. So how can you do your part well? People feel seen when we greet them, speak their name, and pronounce it correctly, or recognize their important life events. But true visibility goes beyond simple acknowledgement. Seeing people at work also looks like giving them credit for great results or recognizing the mark they made on an important project or initiative. I heard a story about an employee who solved a major customer problem. Her solution was so good that her manager determined it should be applied to similar customer problems across the company. But when the manager celebrated the fix during an all-hands call, he didn't mention the name of the person responsible for it. In fact, he gave someone else the credit. Talk about feeling invisible. This one moment of invisibility led to great angst and dampened the employee's willingness to go above and beyond in the future. People also feel seen when others like them are represented in leadership positions, which makes them feel optimistic about their growth potential at your company or when they're reflected in product or marketing ideas. Visibility is so basic that we often take it for granted, which is a big mistake. Seeing people conveys critical messages to those who work for us and with us. It says, you belong here. Your voice and your perspective matter. We need you here and we want you here. It communicates the importance of someone's presence and is the first step in leading all people well. In our next video, we'll talk about how powerful visibility can be for both you and those you lead.

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