The Reverend Jesse Jackson is usually credited for the quote, “Your children need your presence more than your presents.” I often think about this quote when I see parents playing with their kids, like on a playground or ball field. It’s a quote I love because I found it to be true not only with my own children, but also with their friends, the neighborhood kids, the players I coach, the kids in our summer camps, my own friends and family, and yes… with my employees and colleagues. I also appreciate when the people I love most are there for me. I tend to focus in this quote on the word presence.

While growing up, children often look to parents and teachers for their approval, confirmation that they understand something or that they’ve completed a task correctly. In showing their approval, the adult is extending some measure of caring and building a connection with the child. Throughout our adult lives our need for approval and to belong remains a strong influence on our behavior, although we have more power in selecting whose approval we seek by the associations we take on.

With my employees and colleagues, whether I directly supervise them or not, I have found that there is a measure of approval we all seek from each other in the performance of our work. It’s most easily seen when an employee looks to the approval of their supervisor to ensure they’re completing a task properly or learning the company’s mission, goals and culture. It is also seen from supervisors down to their subordinates and between equal-level colleagues. When we want to belong and be viewed as a valuable part of an organization we seek approval from others.

One of my mantras regarding supervision is, “Let your employees see you seeing them doing their work.” In parks and recreation we often have work locations all over town, and some jobs let employees work pretty autonomously. This is true in many other industries too; it’s common to supervise employees in different buildings or even in different cities. How do your employees and colleagues know if you approve of them and the quality of their work if you’re not there?

One thing I try to do as a supervisor is see all of my direct reports in person each day. I have seven direct reports and ten full-time professionals on my team in my current position. With varying work schedules and decentralized work places it’s rare that I see them all live in a day, but if I see maybe eight people and talk to two on the phone that’s a good day. Seeing three live, two on video, talking to one on the phone and to one by text isn’t so hot. Too many days like that in a row and I start feeling disconnected from them!

Being present makes you a better manager. Hiding in your office bubble cranking out emails for hours or days on end leads to disconnections between people. Communication is most effective when body language and tone can be shared, unlike in email and text. Phone calls are better than email, video calls better than phone calls, but live – that’s what matters. It’s extremely important to get out and see the team work in their own environment and to connect with them when you’re there. There are so many details of an employee’s environment or a customer’s experience that you pick up by physically being in the same space, the same transaction, the same conversation. Certainly you need to produce some work in your office, and you can’t be in all places at once, but you need to be in your employees’ environment with them once in a while to understand them. Your effort pays off immeasurably.

Your presence isn’t just about physical location. More often it’s about attention and energy. When you make the effort to go see an employee work in their environment, that effort of taking time out of your day to travel however you need to to see them is noticed and appreciated by the employee. That act shows you care. When you go further to talk with them and give them your undivided attention – even for just 5 minutes – they feel even more special. (No, it’s not the time to answer your phone or check for texts or emails.) When your conversation includes true relational aspects that show you are genuinely interested in them as a person and their success in their work their buy-in and commitment rises. When giving them an “Atta Boy!” or a “Nice job!” the single breath you’ve spent scores points too. Even when you leave you are showing the employee you are trusting them and empowering them to perform their job properly without your micromanagement. More points, more effort, more job satisfaction for both of you.

In my previous role as the Director of Parks & Recreation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa I led an organization with 75 full-time professionals and hundreds of seasonal employees, particularly in the summer. I worked hard at knowing something about the families or interests of the full-timers, and to know as many names (at least) of the various seasonal team members. It makes the job more rewarding, and I practice it every where I go. To see a high school-aged seasonal lifeguard light up when you greet them with their name and a handshake not only boosts their spirits but helps them feel that you and the company value them. It’s priceless!

Sometimes simply your personal power or charisma has an effect on the people that encounter you, and your absence is very much noticed. Have you ever had the experience where you’ve done all you could to prepare for a vacation from work, trusting the staff to perform in your absence, only to return to find that things have gone to hell in your absence? This is when you discover how much your presence is needed to help maintain order and help the company keep a steady calm and focus. In these instances there can be negative issues at play that need to be addressed, but it’s common for employees to feel more at peace and sure of themselves when their leaders are available just in case they need it.

When you lead people with the kind of love a parent has for their child, or close to it, you put them in the best possible environment for them to perform their job, learning and growing into the kind of employee you want them to be. Just like parents discipline and challenge their children, supervisors are still able to hold their employees accountable and pressure them for high performance results within a caring work environment. Just like athletes need their coach or campers need their counselor, your employees need your presence too.