Feeling Understood at Work Starts Within You

The need to feel understood at work can be tricky. When we are feeling misunderstood at work, we want to blame others. They aren't listening. They are too busy. They are bad managers. Consider for a moment that this position is quite powerless.

Consider also that the feeling of being misunderstood often starts inside of us. This is why an important step to being heard at work is self-awareness at a deep level. Here is an inquiry to get at the root cause of this feeling:

• What are your core values? What are the things that are most important to you?

• Does your team, manager and company have similar values?

• If yes, does knowing this help you feel more connected to the situation? If no, why do you continue choose to work there?

• Are there situations that trigger you to feel misunderstood such as one-on-one or in meetings? Specific people or everyone? Speaking or writing?

• If so, is it possible to tackle these individual triggers, perhaps by practicing your public speaking skills or your writing?

• Can you see a pattern in the triggers or in the behavior you consider problematic?

• As you see this pattern emerge, can you remember earlier times in your career and life when you started having this type of reaction?

• If so, how did you handle the situation previously? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

• Does identifying the pattern and it's origin give you perspective and new choices to make now?

When you answer these questions for yourself, a path forward becomes clearer. It is important to be true to yourself and intentional as you face daily challenges. By focusing on these questions, you'll be able to first understand yourself as well as your needs and desires: the first step in communicating them to someone else in the workplace. Feeling understood at work is an important part of feeling satisfied and complete in your overall life; make sure you're staying in touch with your emotions and intuition to address this vital need.