WHAT DOES EVERYONE NEED TO KNOW....

Well, lots of things...

But one thing that I think will deepen your relationships and impact your career and influence no matter the stage of life is how you treat people and make them feel.

People want to feel important. Your customer, your preceptor, your professor, your significant other, your boss, your employees, your children, your friends, etc......

In management classes, they teach about making your employees feel heard and valued; having weekly or monthly meetings with them to deepen your relationship and understand their needs. Some people think this is a waste of time or that they don't have time. But research shows that happy employees are much more productive than unhappy ones. People who feel valued in even a minuscule task are much more likely to produce good work and be a positive force within the work environment. Unhappy employees actually hurt productivity, make more mistakes, and affect others with their persona. So, really, you can't afford to not do this!

I remember a recent situation where a colleague's employees were unhappy with their work environment. In talking to them, they liked their work, their patient interactions, and how they fit into the department, it was their parking situation that was really bothering them and the fact that they didn't have a touchdown space to put their belongings when they arrived. They had to walk far and take a van back in the evening because it was dark. They felt unsafe and it was affecting the hours that they wanted to work. At first, my colleague brushed it off, but when he finally made the call (an easy thing for him to change!), he was able to improve their parking and get them a locker. It was such an easy change and completely changed their job satisfaction. Sometimes as managers, we think people are unhappy because of who they are or something that is unfixable, and sometimes yes, but many times we can chisel away or even make an easy change to improve their work environment. 

How do you make someone feel important? You put yourself aside and listen. You ask questions. You are present in the situation. You don't interrupt. 

Whether you are a student in undergrad or grad school, starting a new relationship or deepening an existing one, working in retail pharmacy, working with others, in a management role, etc.... you can try this. It will make you feel more connected to others which genuinely makes people feel happy and more motivated in their daily flow.

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