Chapter 9 - Mattering through Performance

Summary

When the work you do includes more than yourself, you can make contributions through productive or relational value. Productive value refers to contributions you make to create a good or a service. You may have insights about how to sell a product to a new market, how to deliver a service more efficiently, or how to perform a dance more graciously. These ideas and actions enhance the productive value of a task. This is all about delivering great goods and services efficiently and accomplishing tasks with the highest quality. Relational value is about fostering a climate of support and growth among your peers and employees. You add relational value when you behave compassionately, when you encourage your peers to learn, and when you create a psychologically safe place. The more relational value you create in the workplace, the higher the likelihood to generate productive value. Fear, the opposite of psychological safety, imposes a tax on productivity and most certainly kills creativity. We must nurture the capacity to add productive and relational value at the same time. We must encourage the acquisition of technical as well as relational skills.