Make Them Matter: Building a Healthy Work Culture Through Relationships

Healthy work culture relies on quality relationships, where individuals feel valued. Leaders should foster social self-esteem and ensure everyone feels seen, heard, and respected.

• The Core Idea: Building a healthy work culture starts with fostering quality relationships, defined by individuals feeling they matter to each other.

• David Blustein's Insight: Our work experiences are shaped by our relationships. Leaders should model healthy relationships.

• The Upward Spiral: Showing someone they matter increases their capacity to build high-quality relationships.

• Networking Event Example: Illustrates how feeling valued (or not) impacts social self-esteem and ability to connect.

• Social Anxiety vs. Social Self-Esteem: Social anxiety hinders connection, while social self-esteem (feeling worthy) drives it.

• Overlooked Aspect: Leaders often neglect building social self-esteem when addressing disconnection. You can't tell people to "put themselves out there" if they don't feel valuable.

• Key Question for Leaders: Are you ensuring people know their voices/ideas are significant? Are you building the social self-esteem needed to engage?

• Healthy Relationships Require: Feeling seen, heard, and valued.

• Schroeder & Fishbach's Research: Feeling "known" by a partner predicts relationship satisfaction.

• Jane Dutton's Research: "Respectful engagement" (valuing, respecting someone's dignity) fosters positive connections, improving cognitive function, immunity, learning, and trust.

• High-Quality Relationships Lead To: Increased cooperation, helping colleagues, and contributing to the team.

• Key Takeaway for Leaders: Prioritize showing people they matter to build a healthy culture. When people feel like they matter, they act like it.