Episode: 682

Episode Title: The Human Connection With My Team

The human connection is where any sense of employee appreciation must start. Here’s how leaders can make sure they build it, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 682 show:

This is The Perna Syndicate—hello and welcome! This year’s Employee Appreciation Day has come and gone, but the topic has never been more top of mind with business leaders everywhere. 

As a CEO of my own company, I have been asking myself several questions about how I show my team that I honor and appreciate their contribution to our shared journey. The first question is this: Do I have a human connection with my team?

A genuine human connection starts with three vital questions that all of us are asking, whether we know it or not. They are: do you see me? Do you hear me? And do I, in fact, matter?

Everyone, in every personal and professional relationship, wants to feel that the answer to all of these is yes. If we somehow indicate a negative or apathetic response to any of these unspoken questions, we’ve lost that person. 

Sure, they may go along for awhile and do what we ask, get the work done, but ten to one their heart won’t be in it. And if their heart’s not there, they won’t be there for long either. 

Eye to eye, belly to belly, we must take the time to show our team that we do, in fact, see them as more than producers of work. We hear what they have to say, and we value their contribution to the mission. Feeling seen, heard, and valued means feeling appreciated. And this type of employee experience is at the heart of any truly great work culture.

Tomorrow: how does setting healthy work-life boundaries make people feel valued? We’ll talk about that and more next time on The Perna Syndicate. See you then!