The TeamWorks Perspective: Guiding Teams to a Strategic/Unified Vision with Transformative Strategies
Being Seen
“I have not been heard, encouraged, or supported by my leaders. I feel like I’m invisible to them.”
As I was reading through the results of a staff survey, this one jumped off the page. When we feel ignored and anonymous at work, it’s hard to stay motivated. We begin to wonder: Who cares that I’m here? What difference am I making? Unfortunately, many employees across industries feel this way.
The Three Causes of Job Misery
Patrick Lencioni explores this in The Truth About Employee Engagement: A Fable About Addressing the Three Root Causes of Job Misery (originally titled Three Signs of a Miserable Job). According to Lencioni, three key factors can make work miserable—even for people in careers they once felt passionate about:
- Anonymity – when employees feel their manager doesn’t know or care about them as people.
- Irrelevance – when they can’t see how their work makes a difference.
- Immeasurement – when they can’t track or assess their own contributions.
Bringing This Into Schools
In our strategic planning work with school districts, we ask staff, students, and families: “What do you want school to look like, sound like, and feel like each day?” These Desired Daily Experiences sit at the heart of the process. And across districts – large or small, rural or urban – the responses are strikingly consistent. Whether it’s a veteran teacher, a middle schooler, or a kindergarten parent, we hear: “I want to feel like I belong. That I’m known, and I matter here.”
These aren’t just data points – they’re reflections of deeply human needs. And while surveys help surface patterns and perspectives, they’re only a starting point. People want to be seen, not just surveyed. That means showing up in real ways – through hallway conversations, classroom visits, and meaningful check-ins that affirm, “You matter. I see you.”
Lencioni’s framework doesn’t just apply to adults; it translates to students, too. When students feel invisible, why show up? When they can’t see the relevance of schoolwork to their lives, boredom sets in fast. And while schools measure academic progress relentlessly, how often do we help students recognize the positive impact they have on their peers and school community?
A Simple but Powerful Practice
My daughter’s high school choir teacher understands the power of being known. On the first day of class, he tells students about their first summative assessment: each student is to know every single choir member’s name. It’s a simple idea, but profoundly meaningful. As Dale Carnegie said, “Names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
Start With Empathy
Building a culture where people feel seen begins with empathy. That means observing and listening – without assumptions – to understand what students, staff, and families need. Often, the most powerful insights come from what’s left unsaid. When we combine human-centered design with systems thinking, we create the conditions for meaningful and lasting change.
A Leadership Challenge
Here’s a challenge for you: What’s one intentional action you can take today to notice someone who might feel unseen – a colleague, a student, a parent? It doesn’t have to be monumental. Maybe it’s greeting someone warmly in the hallway: “Hi, I’m so glad you’re here today.” Or sending a quick handwritten note: “I wanted you to know how much I appreciate…”
I’d love to hear your ideas – what’s working in your school or organization to help people feel seen and valued? Email me at julie@teamworks4ed.com.
