Value Feeling Valued

The Power of Mattering
By Zach Mercurio
Harvard Business Review Press, 272 pp., $30

How do you know you matter at work? Is it because of the projects you handle, the pay you receive, or something deeper—the feeling that your colleagues know you, care about you, and rely on you?

As Mercurio aptly states in The Power of Mattering, "We can't change something until we can name it." He spends the first portion of the book doing that; he defines mattering as the "experience of feeling significant to those around you." Mercurio also explains why leaders have a special responsibility to cultivate that feeling.

In the following chapters, the author continues to reinforce the importance of mattering via references to psychological research. The structure may include too much buildup for some readers, leaving them eager to get to Mercurio's more tactical suggestions, while others may benefit from a deeper understanding of why the topic is worth exploration.

The book's framework advocates for three major skills.

• Noticing: seeing and hearing people

• Affirming: showing people how their unique gifts make a difference

• Needing: displaying that people are indispensable

To strengthen those skills, Mercurio suggests strategies that focus on a mix of internal mindsets and external applications. He also includes self-assessments to guide readers in evaluating their own competencies. Helpfully, each chapter ends with a recap of the section's most salient points.

One of the most exceptional features of the book is the range of examples; many such books primarily focus on corporate workplaces and high-level leaders. But in The Power of Mattering, examples span various industries, from janitorial services to airport operations to school administration, showcasing the universal value of mattering. Near the end of the text, Mercurio shares how organizations can promote mattering as a cultural imperative.

While the author asserts that The Power of Mattering is for leaders, I argue that it's for anyone who cares about improving engagement in their workplace. I will caution, however, that the book is packed with references to psychological research and ideas for creating mattering, so the chapters can often feel dense. Because of that, readers should take a leisurely pace, setting aside time to practice and reflect on new concepts as they emerge.