Page 192 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Consideration
CHA P T E R 1 0

” People do not care how much you know until
they know how much you care.”
—John Maxwell

howing consideration to employees is one of the
quickest, easiest, and most effective ways to
Sincrease employee engagement. Consideration
refers to giving careful thought to a person or idea and is dem-
onstrated through one’s words, decisions, and actions. People
differ considerably in their ability to be considerate, which
requires empathy and an understanding that others have feel-
ings, needs, and beliefs separate from one’s own. While empathy
is perhaps the most critical innate skill for a leader to possess, it
is nearly impossible to teach, since it is so closely tied to person-
ality. Moreover, those who lack empathy typically dismiss it as
not being an important leadership skill.
Time and again, research participants shared stories of con-
siderate acts by supervisors that demonstrated the impact of
consideration on respect, engagement, and loyalty. Among the
many diverse stories, the most common theme involved a per-
sonal or family health issue.
The following story is quite personal, as it involves my wife,
Karen. She was living and working in New York City when her
mother, Violet, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Violet lived