Dear Friends,

Everything we do at The Waymakers Change Group is based on the four needs all people have in the workplace—to be seen, to be respected, to be valued, and to be protected. Our data proves that when employees have these needs met, they contribute at a higher level and their companies experience increased attraction, belonging, retention, and innovation—the hallmarks of marketplace growth and sustainability.

But not all employees get those four needs met to the same degree. Human nature (bias), workplace demands (doing more faster, and with less), marketplace pressures (tariffs, AI), plus -isms and -phobias (sexism, ablism, xenophobia, etc.) can prevent leaders from leading all people well.

As leaders, WE create the cultures employees and companies need to thrive—by meeting the four talent needs for all people… or not. When we don’t—intentionally or unintentionally—there are significant consequences. Brandon, a Waymaker we started working with many years ago, found that out the hard way.

Invisibility at Work

“I was shocked. I thought Jim was a solid enough team member. Hadn’t heard any real complaints from him. So, when he came into my office and submitted his resignation, I was caught off guard. When I asked him why he was leaving, he said he felt ‘invisible.’ I couldn’t believe it at first, but when he shared his examples, I felt ashamed.” –Brandon C. Regional Director 

Being seen at work is the first of the four talent needs. Research and our clients’ results prove that employees who feel seen have an increased confidence in their work and are inspired to strive for greater success in their roles. Feeling seen makes them feel understood and cared for as a person—beyond their work output—which creates a sense of purpose and a belief that their work truly matters—to their peers, their leaders, and to the company.

Jim told Brandon that he didn’t feel seen; he felt “invisible.” Jim shared that he’d given Brandon an idea for a cost-savings project during one of their staff meetings, but when it came time for Brandon to select team members to work on the project, Brandon overlooked him, and didn’t respond to Jim’s follow-up email asking why. Jim also said that Brandon consistently rescheduled their one-on-one meetings, which left Jim to conclude he was not important enough for Brandon’s attention.

During his two and a half years on the team, Jim asked Brandon on more than one occasion about career progression, yet Brandon failed to follow through with clear information on the pathway to promotion. Jim admitted he’d been doing “just enough” the last few months. He said it didn’t matter if he overachieved because Brandon wouldn’t acknowledge it if he did. And if his direct leader didn’t care if he achieved or over-achieved, neither would anyone else in the company. On a more personal level, Jim revealed that Brandon’s team had coordinated gatherings to celebrate Jim’s wedding and his work anniversary, yet Brandon hadn’t attended either event. These examples—and, unfortunately, a few others—made Jim feel unseen.

The Consequences of Invisibility

Whether intentional acts of rejection—being belittled, scapegoated, or targeted—or passive forms of exclusion, like being overlooked or not receiving complete communication, invisibility at work leads to employee isolation, detachment, “quiet quitting,” and, as with Jim, leaving in search of (hopefully) better opportunities elsewhere.

Invisibility negatively impacts business outcomes as well. The company needed Jim’s best, but invisibility led him to give “just enough.” Jim experienced a contribution gap—the difference between what the company needed him to give and what he actually gave—because Brandon did not meet Jim’s need to be seen. And if Jim talked about his subpar work experiences with others—which happens often in these situations—then negative impacts to reputation, talent attraction, belonging, retention, and innovation followed. Not what any company needs in these precarious times.

Helping All People Feel Seen

It took a beat or two, but Brandon admitted he’d failed Jim. He realized he hadn’t been intentional about ensuring all people on his team felt seen, and Jim fell through the cracks. We helped Brandon improve 3 critical skills to ensure all people on his team felt seen–inclusion consciousness, influencing, and responsibility.

Inclusion consciousness. Developing a lens for combating isolation and nurturing belonging. Ensuring all people have a voice—from meetings to decision-making.

Influencing. Using position, relationships, or intellectual power to improve outcomes for people, circumstances, or entities.

Responsibility. Owning your choices and behaviors and intentionally aligning your actions with stated goals.

We collaborated with Brandon on an action plan to improve those skills. From small things like meeting invites to larger initiatives like talent development and succession planning, we helped Brandon develop his inclusion consciousness, resulting in an increase in his team’s sense of belonging.

We also encouraged Brandon to leverage his power to create more opportunities for different members of his team—not only those he frequently tapped for special projects. His team took notice of Brandon seeking more diverse collaboration and stepped up. Over time, more of his team members reported an increase in their discretionary effort.

Overall, what worked for Brandon was taking responsibility for what happened with Jim. Brandon had some internal work to do, but after reading The Waymakers book, he realized he created the culture that resulted in Jim’s departure and only he could turn things around. He owned his responsibility, created an action plan to work on his own perspective as well as how he treated others, and put his plan into motion. The result of Brandon’s consistency and hard work: no more Jims. And not only did Brandon’s new employee experience a more inclusive team culture, but the company benefitted from a more productive and efficient team.

Friends, making sure all people feel seen is not easy, but it is simple. Develop your inclusion consciousness. Leverage your influence to make a way for others–especially those “unusual suspects.”  And recognize, as Brandon did, that the culture of your team is your responsibility. The work to create and sustain a healthy culture for all people is yours; no one else’s.

What are you doing to ensure all people on your team feel seen? What will you do more/less of in the future? Follow us on LinkedIn as we share proven  ways to help all people feel seen, respected, valued, and protected.

Until next time, keep making a way.

The Waymakers Change Group