Emerging Nurse Leader

A leadership development blog

The Power of Helping Staff Feel Like They Matter

by

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Many nurses feel like they no longer matter as individuals to their organizations.  A Surgeon General’s report issued in 2023 called for workplaces to do a better job of protecting employee mental health. The report stated that one of the “essentials” for well-being at work is “mattering,” the belief that you are valued and essential to others. “People want to know that they matter to those around them and that their work makes a difference in the lives of others,” the report notes. The report also noted that recent research has shown that a focus on mattering can be a powerful tool for responding to the rise in loneliness, anxiety, depression, and social division among Americans.

The phenomenon of “anti-mattering”—a chronic feeling of being insignificant, unheard, and invisible is a significant issue with the nursing workforce today. Although nurse leaders often hear this from nurses, they are unsure what to do to change the perceptions of staff.

That is why an article in the May/June 2025 Harvard Business Review, titled “The Power of Mattering at Work ,” is helpful. Zach Mercurio provides not only specific guidance on what to do but also offers a comprehensive toolkit for leaders, along with a self-assessment tool. Mercurio discusses three critical components of mattering:

  1. Leaders Notice People – Noticing means that you see your staff and pay attention to both their work and lives. They make time and space for others and pay deep attention to what staff discuss with them. Effective leaders ask good exploratory questions and stay curious in conversations.
  2. Leaders Affirm People – Affirming means showing staff the impact they are having in explicit ways and acknowledging that impact. Affirming others is acknowledging their unique strengths and talents.
  3. Leaders Show People That They Are Needed – Showing staff that they are needed involves linking their work to a larger purpose and highlighting their impact on bigger organizational goals.

Mecurio points out that many leaders believe they do a great job of helping staff feel valued and matter, but survey data indicates otherwise. Work engagement scores are at record lows globally, and 65% of the workforce feels unappreciated.  How well are you doing with this? You won’t know unless you ask, so both self-assessment and team feedback are crucial. He recommends that leaders rate themselves and also ask their teams to rate them on the following 15 statements using a Likert scale of 1 Never – 2 Rarely – 3 Sometimes – 4 Frequently and 5 Always.

  1. I ask and remember the details of others’ lives, such as the names of family members and friends, values and interests, and personal goals and aspirations.
  2. I remember and check in on the details of others’ personal and work lives during routine conversations.
  3. I ask others for their opinions, listen to what they have to say, share that I value their voices, and follow up to ensure they feel heard.
  4. I notice others’ moods, and when I sense that someone is struggling, I seek to understand and offer help.
  5. I check on people’s energy levels and emotions.
  6. I name others’ unique gifts, such as their strengths, purpose, perspective, and wisdom.
  7. I show people how they and their work impact others both inside and outside the organization.
  8. When I assign a task, I first explain the purpose and the difference it makes.
  9. I go out of my way to provide opportunities for others to use and develop their gifts.
  10. I express gratitude verbally to others regularly.
  11. I tell others how I rely on them.
  12. When people return from an absence, I tell them I missed them.
  13. I remind people how I and the organization need them and their work.
  14. I ask others for help.
  15. I tell people how it’s better when they are around.

Scoring

Questions 1-5 are your Noticing Total.  ___/25

Questions 6-10 are your Affirming Total. ___/25

Questions 11-15 are your Needing Total. ___/25

Unlike other recruitment and retention initiatives, focusing on hardwiring the concept of mattering into your culture costs very little but could have outsized returns.

Read to Lead

Mecurio, Z. (May/June 2025). The Power of Mattering at Work. Harvard Business Review. 

© emergingrnleader.com 2025

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