The Power of Mattering

Learn how to make everyone feel truly seen, heard, valued, and needed.

Harvard Business Review Press

Mattering (n.): The experience of feeling significant to the people around you that comes from Feeling valued and adding value.

Everyone has a fundamental need to feel seen, heard, and valued.

Yet more people than ever report feeling ignored and under-appreciated at work—simply put, they don’t feel like they matter to their leaders or their organizations. And these feelings have dire consequences. The hidden epidemic of insignificance is driving a mental health crisis, debilitating loneliness, and, for organizations, disengagement, turnover, and low performance.

The good news is that leaders can learn the skills to ensure everyone around them feels valued and knows how they add value at work. Through a captivating exploration of the emerging science of mattering and drawing from hands-on work with hundreds of diverse occupations and organizations, researcher and speaker Zach Mercurio reveals how experiencing mattering to others is a fundamental—yet often overlooked—requirement for thriving. He introduces a simple yet effective framework for making daily interactions with your people more meaningful:

Noticing: the practice of seeing and hearing others
Affirming: the practice of showing people how their unique gifts make a difference
Needing: the practice of showing people how they’re relied on and indispensable

Filled with practical advice and helpful exercises, The Power of Mattering gives leaders at all levels the skills they need to revitalize their teams—and entire organizations—by showing people how they matter.

“People need to know that they matter and their work matters. When the dignity of workers and the meaning of work is affirmed in the workplace, it enhances well-being.”

– Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, in the Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well‑Being