Mediator’s Minute: Are You the Glue in Your Organization?

It is, admittedly, not the most appealing descriptor for an employee and yet it describes a person so essential that the entire organization is better for having that individual.  I am talking about the “Glue” employee or “glue player” as described in Heidi Mitchell’s Wall Street Journal article “The Underrated Power of ‘Glue Employees’ Who Hold Everything Together.” (Oct. 12, 2025).  In it, she shares a discussion with behavioral scientist Jon Levy whose book explores this concept.  The too-long-did-not-read synopsis is this: teams and organizations thrive because of the Glue employees who uplift their colleagues, often as unsung heroes.  This article resonated with me because there are so many moments in one’s career where we are helped or pushed forward or even pulled up the ladder by folks who are minimally recognized for their efforts and sometimes not at all. 

Yet these individuals are precisely the individuals who help their colleagues excel and who elevate the whole team by leveraging their emotional intelligence.  Levy argues that organizations need these glue employees to get the most from their teams.  To hire glue employees, Levy describes what to look for during an interview: folks who have lots of extracurriculars in their background, like volunteering, mentoring, and participation in committees.  One of my favorite insights was to look for someone who “lights up” when they talk about work they have done for others as opposed to their personal achievements.  In his book, Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara of New York restaurant fame, talks about building his dynamic, Michelin-star-award-winning team by actively seeking to hire the type of individual who “runs after a stranger on the street to return a dropped scarf” and who “wants to do good things, not for financial gain or some sort of karmic bump, but because the idea of bestowing graciousness upon others makes their own day better.”  Id. at p. 81 (2022).  The challenge, of course, is that these values are hard to define and harder to measure. 

As an employment mediator, I think of how and when these concepts show up in litigation—often after an employee who feels they are the Glue, but have not been appreciated for these traits, reaches a breaking point with a colleague or their employer more broadly.  It can also show up in instances where renumeration does not appear to match the contributions of the Glue employee.  For example, in the case where an organization does expressly value this work, but perhaps does not articulate how to its employees, one employee may see that reward (say a bonus or promotion) as inappropriate in light of stated metrics (likely labeling it favoritism).  In the opposite case, where the Glue’s work is not rewarded, the Glue feels undercompensated vis-à-vis their peers because they feel they have had to disproportionately perform in their role for the same, or less, reward. 

It is a good reminder of the importance of communicating to employees company values and the criteria used for evaluating performance.  Including these aspects of performance for review and renumeration will go a long way in ensuring the Glue feels appreciated, respected, and compensated for their work and, in turn, let them focus on what they do best: lifting the organization up.

Shireen Wetmore is a mediator specializing in employment matters and can be reached for questions, comment, or booking at www.shireenwetmoremediation.com.  

This Mediator’s Minute is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.