It began early on in her career. Founder, Lysa Greer, had been working several years at a media company filled with exciting promotions, fun-filled events, and loads of opportunity. However, despite the "fun" elements of her job, she felt under-valued and was always filled with anxiety over her employment status.
At first, she chalked it up to her personality or attributed it to some internal miscommunication. But, after sharing her feelings with her co-workers, she realized she wasn't alone. This sense of feeling under-valued was felt company-wide! Everyone feared being fired, felt overworked at times, and as though their voice and contribution wasn't appreciated.
Lysa started seeking out why this was the case; what could be the source of these feelings. And that path lead straight to the top of the organization. Being in management, she had a ring-side seat to observe the leadership of the company and noticed the lack of appreciation started there - within their realm of leadership.
It was then that she began researching, uncovering possible tools that could help this lack of appreciation she was seeing. She started talking and interviewing people in different companies, from all types of categories: white-collar professionals, blue-collar professionals, skilled workers, laborers, and from all levels of experience.
Slowly, she began to realize that there was more to feeling valued at work than simply being told "nice job!" or "I appreciate you." She also had started her own company, Fresh Take Productions, where she noticed variations of experience within the digital working space.
After becoming a certified facilitator of Appreciation at Work, she started to outline what she felt were the core elements of feeling valued at work: Compensation, Expectations, Respect, Appreciation, and Contribution. The Valued Workforce was then born. It is a philosophy that is rooted in the belief that we all deserve to feel valued and of service in our working environments.
A valued workforce is found in environments where all who labor are compensated fairly for their work. It's fostered by a balanced trade in expectations of both ourselves and our leaders. We all create value within our workforce environments by upholding a fair, equitable, nourishing space for all. A valued workforce is found when respect is given and received by our colleagues, managers, customers, and clients. It is a real, honest, and authentic appreciation for our work. A valued workforce is anchored in trust and starts within each of us.
About Lysa Greer
Lysa is the CEO of Fresh Take Productions, where she works as a digital producer who helps creatives and service-based entrepreneurs fulfill their business vision through creative ideation, technical solutions, and relationship marketing. With 20 years of diverse experience in broadcast and digital media, she provides a wide range of experience in working with a variety of clients and teams, both virtually and in-person.