As I continue preparing for upcoming presentations centered around Jon Gordon’s The 7 Commitments of a Great Team, there is one commitment that continues to stand out to me.
Commit to valuing each other.
At first glance it seems simple.
Treat people well.
Respect each other.
Be kind.
But when you look deeper, this commitment sits at the center of everything.
In Jon Gordon’s Infinity Model, committing to value each other sits right in the middle. I think there is a reason for that.
Because every commitment around it depends on this one.
You cannot have trust without valuing people.
You cannot have accountability without valuing people.
You cannot have difficult conversations without valuing people.
You cannot build culture without valuing people.
And if culture is the key to everything, then valuing people becomes one of the most important things a team can do.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of staff members, athletes, volunteers, community members, and leadership teams.
The strongest teams all had one thing in common.
People felt valued.
Not because they received praise every day.
Not because everyone agreed.
Not because conflict did not exist.
People felt valued because they knew they mattered.
They knew their voice mattered.
They knew their contribution mattered.
They knew someone cared enough to listen.
People will work hard for a paycheck.
They will give their best when they feel valued.
And when people do not feel valued, the effects show up quickly.
In fact, valuing each other is so important that when I was consulting with a team that did not, it was glaringly obvious.
The team did not have a communication problem.
They had a value problem.
People simply did not feel valued, understood, listened to, or like they mattered.
Simply stated, they were missing the LUE in VALUE.
They were hearing someone talk, not listening.
They were waiting for their turn to respond.
They struggled to understand another person’s perspective and frankly, viewed situations through a very narrow lens.
Empathy was out the window.
Finally, I pointed out that what they were experiencing was not a resource problem.
It was a communication problem.
And at the heart of that communication problem was the reality that they had stopped valuing each other and become too focused on the WIN.
Then boom.
Like magic, they hit the aha moment.
They looked at each other and realized:
We stopped caring.
Suddenly, they opened up in a different way.
They listened before speaking.
They exercised empathy.
They apologized.
They discussed how they could approach each other differently moving forward.
And just like that, the culture began changing.
When I think about valuing people, I come back to one simple word:
VALUE
V – Validate
People want to know they matter.
Their thoughts matter.
Their work matters.
Their contribution matters.
A – Appreciate
Give thanks and be specific.
“Thank you, Jon, for staying late to clean up after the event. It helped us be ready to serve residents first thing this morning.”
Specific appreciation creates meaningful connection.
L – Listen
Not just waiting to speak.
Not preparing a rebuttal.
Listening with the intent to understand.
U – Understand
Seek understanding.
Be curious.
Learn from what others have to say.
Assumptions create walls.
Understanding builds bridges.
E – Empathize
Put yourself in their shoes.
Every person on your team is carrying something you may never see.
Empathy creates connection.
Connection creates culture.
People leave jobs.
People leave managers.
People leave cultures.
Rarely do people leave because someone failed to create another spreadsheet.
Much more often, they leave because they do not feel valued.
That is why this commitment matters.
When people feel valued:
- Trust grows
- Communication improves
- Accountability becomes easier
- Commitment increases
- Culture strengthens
Everything accelerates.
As we move deeper into fall, I encourage you to perform a temperature check.
Ask yourself:
- Do people on my team feel valued?
- Do they feel heard?
- Do they feel appreciated?
- Do they feel understood?
- Do they feel connected?
Because if they do, culture will move forward.
If they do not, no strategic plan, budget, program, initiative, or project will fix it.
Culture starts with people.
Culture is not built through programs.
Culture is built through people.
People start with value.
If your team needs help creating a culture where people genuinely feel valued, I would love to help.
Because the commitment that builds culture is simple:
Commit to valuing each other.
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