The Power of Mattering: How to Feel Valued and Valuable in Your Career

This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Dr. Zach Mercurio’s book The Power of Mattering. They talk about how mattering goes beyond belonging, why it boosts motivation and wellbeing, and what happens when we feel invisible or replaceable at work. From personal reflections on high and low mattering moments to practical ways to help others feel noticed, affirmed, and needed, Helen and Sarah bring this idea to life with real-world examples. You’ll learn how small actions — from giving meaningful feedback to showing appreciation — can make a big difference to how people feel, perform, and connect at work. Episode 514 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:30 What is mattering? Feeling valued and valuable 04:39 Mattering vs belonging — what’s the difference? 07:42 The data: 4 in 10 people feel invisible at work 10:07 High and low mattering moments in your career 17:00 The 3 ingredients of mattering 18:44 Noticing others in meetings 22:35 Affirmation vs recognition 27:36 Making people feel needed 33:41 The mattering spectrum: meaningless, mattering, enmeshment 35:27 How to increase mattering for yourself and others 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How to understand the psychology of mattering at work - The difference between belonging and mattering - Three simple ways to help others feel valued and valuable - How to create a stronger sense of purpose and performance in your team 📚 Resources Mentioned The Power of Mattering by Dr. Zach Mercurio For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.