The last week the theme of value has been on my mind. We hear the word in many different ways, but how often do we stop to really understand the importance of such a small, little word. Honestly, I know I haven’t. If you ask my what I value you I can quickly list off things with Matthew and Keaton being at the top, but how often do I really understand the impact of value on my life.
The more I think about value and the role it has on my life, your life, our society, I realize how it really is the foundation of what we do and each relationship. I also believe we say we value things, but often our actions do not reflect our words. I say I value my health, but my lack of making exercise a priority tells a different story. If I was honest with myself and others, I would say I should value my health, but I don’t, if I did, my actions would reflect this value.
Lately I am aware of how much feeling valued at work impacts job satisfaction. I currently work at a place where I feel valued everyday. Each day colleagues and supervisors tell me and show me they value me being part of this organization. While I consider it an honor to have this job, they always make me feel wanted and valued.
Once I was told a happy marriage is when you each think you got the better end of the deal. I tell Matthew all the time, I got the better end of the deal. He replies he got the better end. We both not only feel valued, but we try to show the other we value them.
The same should happen at the place we spend majority of our time. I truly feel like I got the better end of the deal by being hired at my current job. At the same time, I am treated like others believe they got the better end of the deal by me working here. Because of this mutual admiration, there comes job satisfaction. I come to work each daying feeling valued and I hope I return this same feeling to others I encounter each day at work.
As I reflect on the importance of value in all aspects of my life and the way I feel when I truly know/believe I am valued, I realize how important it is to make sure those I value feel it. I work with hundreds of different people and what are the little things I can do to help them know they are valued? Maya Angelou stated “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is my challenge to myself and my challenge to you.
Amy Bigbee Grosso, PhD 