"I’m Glad You’re Here" – Beyond a Performance Lens

Are you glad your employees work for you?

It’s easy to get caught up in the performance or development of team members. But what communicates the message, “I’m glad you’re here. You add value to this team”?

Perhaps party committees or systematic “employee appreciation” efforts come to mind. While programmed efforts can be good, for some they can eventually feel rote or canned. What hits the mark is different for each person, and pulling this off is more art than science, more EQ than IQ.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about trophies and critique, but this is something different. It’s a bit of  Simon Sinek’s “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe.” It’s also about a sense of value, of knowing that my contributions aren’t just noticed, they also really mean something.

Sometimes it’s as simple as sitting down for coffee, making eye contact, and saying, “I’m glad you’re here.”

Join the conversation: How has a leader communicated your belonging to the team? Or what’s something that’s really hit the mark with one of your team members?