With many of us fearing that AI might replace us at work, a sense of being seen and “mattering” is a key contributor to job satisfaction – but does your boss know that?
Management experts have spent the past decade talking about purpose, belonging and engagement at work, and yet people are feeling increasingly invisible in their workplaces.
And, in a fragmented world, with many of us fearing that technology might render us redundant, it seems that a sense of being seen and “mattering” might be one of the most important contributors to job satisfaction, not to mention a key quality for managers to cultivate in their teams.
“Mattering” is fast becoming a core pillar of workplace wellbeing. When we look at some of the biggest issues impacting workplaces; burnout, loneliness and mental wellbeing, it appears mattering matters, and cultivating it could be the answer to many of our modern workplace challenges.
The importance of belonging (I fit in) has long been understood in workplaces, but mattering goes one step further (I make a difference). People can be included, well-paid and successful but still feel irrelevant – and therefore unmotivated.
The trend from a few years back for quiet quitting has been linked to a lack of mattering and it makes sense: “Why would I go above and beyond if I don’t feel I matter?”
We’ve also been taught to link our sense of worth and mattering to how busy we are. But that attitude – ‘I only matter if I overwork and outperform everyone around me’ – is a recipe for burnout.
If you’ve ever worked for a boss who knows nothing about you, never says thanks, or treats you like a resource and not a human, you’ll know what I mean.
How mattering affects workplace loneliness
In an age of polarisation and division we’re increasingly disconnected from each other.
Overlay this with hybrid and remote working, and we don’t spend as much time with our colleagues as we used to. We especially lack those important connection moments outside of meeting times.
The use of email and in-house message systems also means that, even for those physically in the office, information is passed around digitally rather than verbally. Because of this, workplaces have become quieter and – particularly for new recruits – it takes longer to get to know people.
All of these factors are resulting in an increase in workplace loneliness and less connected teams. According to the global data, roughly one in five workers say they feel lonely often. Could a sense of not mattering also be connected here?
Loneliness is not about being alone. It’s feeling unseen, unsupported, or irrelevant – even around others. It’s too simple to say the rise of remote work has caused loneliness but rather remote work exposes whether connection ever existed in the first place and this connection so often comes from a sense of mattering.
Burnout is another major factor in our current workplaces, and we often think the risk is purely related to workload – to working too hard and for too long. And while that is its most common form, burnout can also come from loneliness, lack of autonomy, reward and purpose – and a sense of not mattering.
Output above all else
We’ve seen a dramatic shift in ways of working over the last two decades. Modern work says; deliver, perform and optimise but doesn’t always make room for connection, relating and belonging. The result is our people can feel valued for their output not for who they are, which is not a great recipe for good mental health.
According to the World Economic Forum, people who feel their work matters have higher wellbeing, are more likely to perform at a top level and are less likely to quit. It’s also been linked to reduction in loneliness and better mental health.
Gordon Flett, a professor in psychology at York University, suggests in his 2018 book The Psychology of Mattering, that mattering impacts our self-esteem, perfectionism, anxiety and can even contribute to depression.
For our employers, it’s linked to job satisfaction, increased engagement and more productivity. It’s not just good for the individual, the business benefits too when people matter.
Mattering is crucial because it provides the “why” that fuels us. The working world is fragmented in terms of where work occurs and who does it, but also in terms of time, levels of effort and direction. Priorities and resources shift and projects are shelved – often suddenly. We experience more discontinuity and it’s easy to lose the thread of what we are working on.
Mattering provides us with the motivation to endure the all too common modern stresses of ambiguity, volatility and disruption.
Why do I feel like I don’t matter?
Here are some red flags to look out for in your workplace, that could either be contributing to that feeling in yourself or, if you're a manager, in those who report to you.
- being ignored in meetings
- your work going unacknowledged
- a lack of basic courtesy (thank-yous for extra work, for example)
- a lack of clear, regular, concrete indications of the impact of your role
- no regular information about the bigger picture or your workplace and your part in it (for example, frequent updates on company reports, company mission statements etc)
If these elements are missing, ask for them openly and clearly from your manager. (Frame it as requiring motivational tools, rather than a complaint). If you are a manager, make sure you deliver these factors to your reports.
It turns out that mattering matters more than a pay rise, it can also impact our happiness at work and in general – now I reckon that matters.
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