The Power of Mattering: What Happens When People Feel Truly Seen w/ Zach Mercurio

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Well friends, we're getting deep today - and we mean DEEP.

Ever feel like you're just going through the motions at work? Like you could disappear tomorrow and nobody would really notice? Yeah, we've all been there. This episode might just change how you show up everywhere.

We sat down with Zach Mercurio, researcher and author of "The Power of Mattering," and honestly? This conversation hit us right in the feelings. Zach breaks down why 30% of people feel invisible at work (despite being in meetings ALL DAY), and more importantly - what we can actually do about it.

This episode is about more than workplace recognition. It’s about creating a culture where people feel they truly count. Whether you manage others, or just want to show up with more meaning, this conversation will change the way you work, lead, and connect. After all, being "seen" isn't a nice-to-have, it's everything.

Here's what we're diving into:

⏰ 3:45 The Mattering Crisis: Why we're lonelier than ever despite being more "connected" than ever (spoiler: it's not about having more people around you)

⏰ 12:20 Transactional vs. Transformational: How our emoji responses and hurried interactions are literally making us worse at being human

⏰ 18:35 The NASA Example: How they got 300,000 people (including janitors) to feel essential to putting a man on the moon

⏰ 25:10 The NAN Framework: Notice, Affirm, Need - three simple practices that separate great leaders from everyone else

⏰ 35:45 "Bosses Are Done Being Nice": Why the pendulum swing back to command-and-control is doomed to fail (and what to do instead)

⏰ 42:30 Going First: What to do when your boss operates transactionally (hint: someone has to make the first move)

🔥 REAL TALK YOU CAN USE TODAY:

• The one question to ask your team that will change everything: "When do you feel like you matter to me?"
• Why "hurry and care can't coexist" - and what this means for your leadership
• The notebook trick that transformed a distribution center (seriously, it's so simple)
• How to spot the difference between belonging, inclusion, and actually mattering

Join us as we explore why the "squishy stuff" isn't optional anymore - it's actually what drives everything else in organizations. Because work is hard enough without feeling invisible while you're doing it.

About Zach: 

Zach Mercurio researcher, author, and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership, mattering, meaningful work, and positive organization

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm Mel Plett, talent strategist coach and someone
who survived Big Law, big Fourand more than a few broken org
charts.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm Francesca.
I've led people strategy atNike and Deloitte.
I like my advice how I like mycoffee strong and no bullshit.
We host your work friends, thepodcast that breaks work down so
you stay ahead.
We talk work stuff.
The human stuff, the awkwardmessy, what the f*** is actually
happening, stuff Each week wedrop new episodes with real talk
, smart guests, fresh insightsand straight-up advice Hit, play
.
We've got you, yeah, theoccasional F-bomb or two.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Hey, this is your Work, friends podcast.
I'm Mel Plett and I'm FrancescaRanieri.
We're breaking down work, soyou stay ahead, Francesca.
What's going on?

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Not much.
Summer's full rolling Went toan airplane house.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
You sent me those pictures of the airplane house
and I'm intrigued.
I want to see the inside.
Sounds interesting.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, For those that don't know, in the Portland area
there's a guy that.
For those that don't know, inthe Portland area, there's a guy
that I think it's a 727 that hetook apart and rebuilt in the
woods and you can go up to thisairplane that is now his house.
My understanding is that he'salso going to be building one in
Japan as well, but it'sactually really cool because he
lets anybody on his property youcan go and stand on the wing.

(01:20):
Would you ever want to live ina plane?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
I could see myself living in a plane.
If it was gutted and you madeit into something really cool,
why not?
Who?

Speaker 3 (01:31):
cares.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like aprefab home yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, why not I don't know If you could turn a school
bus into a home.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
There's options here Recycling.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yes, that is the name of the game.
Okay, we sat down with ZachMercurio, who recently published
his book the Power of Mattering, which just blew me away.
Zach is a researcher, an author, a speaker, and he specializes
in purposeful leadership,mattering, meaningful work and
positive org psychology.

(02:06):
He wrote the Power of Matteringhow Leaders Can Create a
Culture of Significance, and healso wrote the Invisible Leader
Transforming your Life, yourWork and your Org, and the Power
of Authentic Purpose.
And he's worked with hundredsof organizations worldwide,
including teams at JP Morgan,delta, marriott International,
the National Park Service, theArmy and more.

(02:27):
And his work, his research onmeaningful work, has been
awarded by ATD, the Academy ofManagement and the Academy of
Human Resource Development.
And I don't know about you, butthis book just blew me away in
how much people don't see howthey matter right now.
This book just blew me away inhow much people don't see how
they matter.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Right now, I'll tell you, for the majority of the
book, I had, like, almost feltlike I was going to cry, like I
was feeling so emotional aboutit.
And it's because, at the end ofthe day and what Zach talks

(03:08):
about is, even from the veryfirst moments of your life, you
want to feel like you matter.
You need to know that youmatter and, by the way, that
does not change ever.
Yet there's so many of uswalking around feeling like we
don't matter at all.
You'll hear Zach talk aboutthis, but just so you understand
the difference also betweenbelonging and inclusion and
mattering belonging is beingasked to be a part of the team,

(03:29):
inclusion is getting to play thegame, and mattering is knowing
how you contribute, knowing howyou're significant to the team,
and that's the difference.
It's the knowing of how youoffer value, how you're
significant and feeling.
That's the difference.
We've got opportunities to dothat every day, all day, for
everybody in your life.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
For everybody.
Yeah, Personally andprofessionally.
And listen, the squishy stuffmatters.
People don't want to talk aboutthe squish, but the squishy
stuff is what drivesorganizations.
You need to give a shit.
Stuff is what drivesorganizations.
You need to give a shit andit's different than belonging.
It's actually you seeing whyyou matter.
I love the example he alsogives about NASA and laddering,

(04:15):
and everyone from the janitor upthrough the astronaut knew how
they contributed to getting aman on the moon and it got me
thinking how are we doing thatfor our own teams and our people
at work, Even if it's on aproject?
How are you letting them knowhow their contribution even if
they're doing the design of thedeck, like how does that

(04:35):
contribute to the overallresults and why?
It not just how it contributes,but why it matters and why
their role in this matters?
I would say, on my ownreflection, I wish I did more of
that.
It's something I definitelywill be paying a lot more
attention to.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah, yeah, I think the I feel like I tried to do
this and I feel like I shouldhave done it even more
no-transcript, no-transcript,no-transcript.

Speaker 1 (45:17):
Okay, these can be one word answers.
They could be a sentence.
We could dive in furtherwherever it goes.
All right, it's 2030.
What's work going to look like?

Speaker 4 (45:26):
There's two ways it could go.
So one, the bosses are gettingthe power back right now because
the talent market has shifted.
You know it was more proemployee, Now it's more in favor
of employers right now, andwhatever bosses do with this
newfound power will change theexperience of working I,
whatever bosses do with thisnewfound power will change the
experience of no-transcript.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
Our music is by Pink Zebra and if you loved this
conversation and you want tocontribute your thoughts with us
, please do.
You can visit us atyourworkfriendscom, but you can
also join us over on LinkedIn.
We have a LinkedIn communitypage and we have the TikToks and
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So please join us in thesocials and if you like this and

(57:33):
you've benefited from thisepisode and you think someone
else can benefit from thisepisode, please rate and
subscribe.
We'd really appreciate it.
That helps keep us going.
Take care, friends.
Bye friends.