Because we don’t know how much time we have, choosing to treat people with humanity belongs to today, not someday. Last week, in “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong”, I wrote about organizations treating layoffs as business as usual, and employees as resources instead of people. This week, I keep coming back to the urgency of seeing the human in front of us now.
We do not know the date or time of our death. That truth can be sobering, but it can also be freeing: we don’t have to wait for a perfect moment to treat someone with care. I’m not saying we should lead in fear or rush every decision. I’m saying that the ordinary moments we have with people matter, and we should act like they do.
Work does not make anyone less human. The employee in front of you has a life beyond the role, with people who love them and pressures you may never see. Would you make the same decision, or deliver the same message, if that employee were your precious son or daughter? That question is at the heart of my book, They’re Worth It! What It Means to Put Employees First.
Today, before you send the message, make the decision, or move on to the next task, pause long enough to see the person. You can choose to do that today. You cannot count on someday. The choice we get every day is whether we will treat people like they matter while we still have the chance.
This week’s reflection: Who is one person you can make feel seen today, and what will you choose to do?
Coach Ha-Keem
