It’s hard to contribute to a team, relationship, or job if you don’t have trust.

For example, I’ve had a plethora of conversations over the years with people who say they don’t feel valued in their jobs. These individuals work in reputable companies but don’t feel appreciated and have an underlying fear of being let go. These feelings breed a distrust that gets linked to all sorts of things – leadership, teams, job duties, the organization, etc. People strive for a feeling of trust and security.

Yet, corporate America is missing this sense of trust. Employees want to trust that you have their backs. They want to trust the people they work with. They want to trust their leaders and the Company. And most importantly, they want to trust themselves. If you set people up to feel valued, they’ll do ANY job because they’re operating with and feel a sense of worth. They’re no longer equating their value with the perceived importance of what they’re doing. They trust that others have their backs so they feel free to do their jobs. In this way, people can effectively disconnect their value from “things.”

There’s significant freedom when value leads to a state of trust. It takes people from, “this task is beneath me” to “this needs to get done and I’m the person to do it.” Working becomes something the employee can do without question or concern because they’re valuable enough to do it. They trust it won’t “lower” their credibility, and they know it supports the greater mission of the organization.

These behaviors are what connect trust to productivity. Without trust, productivity and engagement are lowest on the scale of things that will get done. As humans, we look to do anything that will alleviate negative feelings. It’s our natural instinct. And, a majority of our time and energy will be spent doing so if we aren’t feeling valued.

So, where’s the energy or mental capacity left over for productivity and engagement?

There is none!

If people don’t trust, are operating out of fear, and don’t feel valued (these are all interconnected) productivity and engagement won’t happen either.

Therefore, it is backwards for companies to focus on productivity and engagement. They should instead be focused on self-awareness, self-empowerment, and personal responsibility – the key concepts in building value and trust. It’s not about being more productive and engaged – those are the result of it.

If you’re looking to take your employees and your organization to a level never before experienced, it is critical that you consider these factors.