The first time I had a boss check-in with me, just to see how I was doing, I was a little freaked-out and I worried that something was wrong. I was relieved and surprised when she spent time with me just to show me she cared. Since then, I’ve had several bosses who checked in with me regularly to see how I was doing and if I had the resources I needed. And I’ve always appreciated that they’ve cared enough to check in.
But this shouldn’t be an extraordinary occurrence. We know this is just good leadership.
But what about when we’re too busy to check-in with employees, colleagues and co-workers? If we’re not saying anything, at least we’re not hurting them, right?
Wrong. Our silence speaks volumes. It tells people that they aren’t worth our presence and time. It says that we are fine on our own and we don’t need them. It says that we don’t respect them enough to ask for their input on decisions.
But they are worth our time and presence, we do need them and we do want their input. So we need to communicate it. Silence is never going to tell them we care.
And keeping in touch can be easier than you think – a simple email, phone call, or 3-minute conversation may be all it takes for you to serve them well and let them know you care. So make it a habit to care for your employees before another business woos them by doing it better.
Let’s make sure we’re checking in on the regular. Let’s not let long stretches go by without caring for the people around us. Let’s not let our priorities get out of whack. Because if we don’t care for our people, we may find they don’t stay around long.
Cover image info: Original, royalty-free image by Alejandro Escamilla from Unsplash.com.
About the author: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy businesses. She shares her heart at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino.
