One of the most important needs for any human being is the desire to feel important. This need, if not equal is as good as the need for food, cloth and shelter. Maslow’s has put this on fourth level on his hierarchy of needs theory stating that this need (along with friendship, love, security) if not met can lead the individual feel anxious and tense. That is why fulfillment of these needs becomes very important especially in the complexities of our workplaces. The feeling of importance and appreciation is the nourishment of an individual’s self-esteem. It is these feelings which makes an individual feel worthy and motivates to do his/her work better each time.
Every human being around us has one or the other qualities which is worth appreciating (or at least acknowledging). Look around you and analyze if you are making enough efforts to appreciate the person who is putting in the hard work to meet the expectations set upon him. After all it’s a collective effort of so many individuals which enables us to do what we are supposed to do at our workplaces. Imagine if the housekeeper doesn’t keep your surroundings clean or the IT staff doesn’t maintain the servers properly? We all are interwoven in complex systems of inter-dependencies where it is very easy to overlook the importance of even our closed associates, forget the contribution from outside people. Even after realizing their importance, how many times do we make an effort to appreciate their work?
Remember that every human being has an innate desire to feel important and valued. Appreciation, Encouragement and Recognition are very important elements to make someone feel valued. So next time, make an effort to identify what is that will make your team/peers feel important? How can you recognize the value they are adding & boost their self-esteem? Do it for everyone: family, friends, relatives, colleagues etc. no matter if they have helped you or not.
This may sound simple but it takes a lot to come up with an honest appreciation. Let’s put an effort to be more humane. After all, we are the species guided by our feelings and emotions.
