Rethinking the Link between Well-being, Productivity, and “Mattering”.

After reading the article about “Mattering” published by the World Economic Forum following this year’s event and the response from Jemima Kelly from the Financial Times, I have a lot of questions and thoughts that have come up. Whilst I do believe the objective of making sure every individual feels valued in their job, I am still questioning the causal relations between, Wellbeing, Productivity, and “Mattering”.

#1 Chicken and Egg. Aren’t we looking at the issue the wrong way around?

It’s always challenging for me when wellbeing is poised as being THE source of productivity improvement and performance without getting an understanding of what makes people happy at work in the first place.

Yes, a happy person is a more productive one, but how can you be happy in the first place?

Productivity inspires Happiness. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, a study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, a Research from the University of Michigan, A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, and many others, individuals who reported higher levels of productivity also reported better mental and physical health outcomes.

But rarely will you find someone arguing that being productive can be the main driver to being happy at work and at home. Over the year, the simple concept of looking for individual productivity improvement has become toxic.

Still, the facts don’t lie, being productive has a positive impact on an individual’s wellbeing by boosting self-esteem, reducing stress and burnout, improving physical health, and enhancing our sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Remember, this idea of being proud after achieving a good day’s work! I simply refer to the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment you experience after completing tasks or achieving goals. It involves taking pride in your work and feeling a sense of fulfillment from a job well done.

#2 Why “Mattering” before focusing on improving productivity can be Self-defeating?

As Alexi Robichaux from BetterUp explains in his article, “We all need to feel that our work matters, has an impact, and helps our organization, colleagues, or society.

People want to know that they matter to those around them through their work and also that the quality of their actions matters to the value of the work. The former is an emotional feeling; the latter is an individual’s perception that their actions affect important outcomes for the business.”

We can all agree with this analysis.

But in practice, if the organisation is not concretely supporting the individual to actually achieve their objectives, in equipping them with the right tools, the right training, the right management, the right coaching, telling them that they matter can be seen as an empty comment, a box-ticking behaviour without real actions attached to it.

#3 What is the individual personal responsibility in showing that they matter?

In his article, Alexi explains “Action-oriented mattering may consist of two parts: recognition and achievement/excellence. Managers must work across both, although they may emphasize one or the other based on what matters most to each individual.

Recognition comes from others. The manager is uniquely able to offer specific, personalized recognition. Some people want external recognition. Others will be motivated by company or department-wide acknowledgement. Others may crave more frequent 1:1 recognition of their efforts.

Achievement comes from within. The manager can help the individual cultivate a sense of mastery and pride. For some, that comes easily; for others, it doesn’t.

Sometimes something matters just because it was really excellent work. Only a manager can create that moment when a person feels the quality of their work is seen and appreciated.”

Yes and Yes.

Recognition and Achievement are certainly fundamental to achieving it. But employees themselves should be more involved in finding the answer. What if mattering needed to come from the individual themselves? Taking responsibility for delivering their objectives, being organised and focussed, being positive with a can-do attitude, being proactive, and taking initiative…

Every employee should be able (meaning, should have been trained) to demonstrate their contribution to the business. They should be able to precisely articulate what their objectives and responsibilities are and be able to demonstrate how their contribution matters.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I feel that Jemima is spot on when she writes:

“The belief that one’s work and contributions are important to others is not something that can be magicked […]. It can only be earned by taking responsibility, […]. Giving employees an artificial “mattering” treatment risks having the opposite effect, making them feel like they don’t matter at all.”

Thus, as leaders, we should focus on individual productivity first and the “Mattering” will take care of itself.