Dr. Zach Mercurio

So it was splashing all the windows and leaving these avoidable watermarks. And so I would get up and go do that every day. And I was so excited. I went to my supervisor and I said, hey, I have an idea. What if we just aim the sprinklers differently so we don't have to spend all of our time doing that? And the supervisor looked at her, she said, and said, that's the sprinkler people's problem.

I need you to just do your job. That was five years prior. She said that one moment shut her down. She said she just clocked in, clocked out. And guess who she told? She told her team, hey, don't share your voice. Nobody's going to listen to you. And what quickly happened was this small moment, because I think we talked about this, that mattering happens in moments and interactions.

I need you to just do your job. That was five years prior. She said that one moment shut her down. She said she just clocked in, clocked out. And guess who she told? She told her team, hey, don't share your voice. Nobody's going to listen to you. And what quickly happened was this small moment, because I think we talked about this, that mattering happens in moments and interactions.

I need you to just do your job. That was five years prior. She said that one moment shut her down. She said she just clocked in, clocked out. And guess who she told? She told her team, hey, don't share your voice. Nobody's going to listen to you. And what quickly happened was this small moment, because I think we talked about this, that mattering happens in moments and interactions.

So too does anti-mattering, the feeling that we're insignificant, very small, often routine moments of being looked over, talked over, not listened to, can get that belief that I just don't quite matter. And then you go and tell other people and people say, eh, nothing we say will matter.

So too does anti-mattering, the feeling that we're insignificant, very small, often routine moments of being looked over, talked over, not listened to, can get that belief that I just don't quite matter. And then you go and tell other people and people say, eh, nothing we say will matter.

So too does anti-mattering, the feeling that we're insignificant, very small, often routine moments of being looked over, talked over, not listened to, can get that belief that I just don't quite matter. And then you go and tell other people and people say, eh, nothing we say will matter.

And that devolves into what's called learned helplessness, which is the belief that I won't, can't, and never will matter. And it is such a killer on a team in an organization. It spreads like a brush fire. And one of the reasons why is because when people feel that they don't matter, two behaviors typically follow. They either withdraw.

And that devolves into what's called learned helplessness, which is the belief that I won't, can't, and never will matter. And it is such a killer on a team in an organization. It spreads like a brush fire. And one of the reasons why is because when people feel that they don't matter, two behaviors typically follow. They either withdraw.

And that devolves into what's called learned helplessness, which is the belief that I won't, can't, and never will matter. And it is such a killer on a team in an organization. It spreads like a brush fire. And one of the reasons why is because when people feel that they don't matter, two behaviors typically follow. They either withdraw.

they isolate, they stay silent, or the terminal withdrawal response has been branded by organizations as turnover. Usually turnover is the inevitable withdrawal response to feeling insignificant. Quiet quitting. I don't know if you remember that trend, John, but that was a, that quiet quitting again was misdiagnosed as a symptom of people who feel insignificant.

they isolate, they stay silent, or the terminal withdrawal response has been branded by organizations as turnover. Usually turnover is the inevitable withdrawal response to feeling insignificant. Quiet quitting. I don't know if you remember that trend, John, but that was a, that quiet quitting again was misdiagnosed as a symptom of people who feel insignificant.

they isolate, they stay silent, or the terminal withdrawal response has been branded by organizations as turnover. Usually turnover is the inevitable withdrawal response to feeling insignificant. Quiet quitting. I don't know if you remember that trend, John, but that was a, that quiet quitting again was misdiagnosed as a symptom of people who feel insignificant.

So they're going to withdraw versus people are saying, oh, this is like a lazy entitled generation. Or It can be much louder. And I think this is important for listeners that people either act in withdrawal when they feel insignificant or they act out in desperation. They're desperate for the attention that they're not getting.

So they're going to withdraw versus people are saying, oh, this is like a lazy entitled generation. Or It can be much louder. And I think this is important for listeners that people either act in withdrawal when they feel insignificant or they act out in desperation. They're desperate for the attention that they're not getting.

So they're going to withdraw versus people are saying, oh, this is like a lazy entitled generation. Or It can be much louder. And I think this is important for listeners that people either act in withdrawal when they feel insignificant or they act out in desperation. They're desperate for the attention that they're not getting.

Think about how we behave and our bodies and minds activate when any survival instinct is threatened. Think about how you feel when you don't get sleep. Think about how you feel when you don't eat. How we feel when we don't matter is we scratch and claw. And acts of desperation can be things like complaining, blaming, gossiping, protesting, all of these things that we've termed toxic.

Think about how we behave and our bodies and minds activate when any survival instinct is threatened. Think about how you feel when you don't get sleep. Think about how you feel when you don't eat. How we feel when we don't matter is we scratch and claw. And acts of desperation can be things like complaining, blaming, gossiping, protesting, all of these things that we've termed toxic.

Think about how we behave and our bodies and minds activate when any survival instinct is threatened. Think about how you feel when you don't get sleep. Think about how you feel when you don't eat. How we feel when we don't matter is we scratch and claw. And acts of desperation can be things like complaining, blaming, gossiping, protesting, all of these things that we've termed toxic.

That's my toxic employee. That's a difficult employee. And in my practice, when I've really dug deep, many of the most quote unquote difficult employees are also the most unseen, unheard, unvalued employees as well.