How are you relating to your employees? Do you see those you lead as workers and employees, or as people? People with pains, worries and fears. People with strengths, hopes and dreams. People who hurt, love, and cry. People who laugh, care, and die.
Have you ever worked for someone who is only interested in what you do, but not really interested in you? I have, more than once. And those leaders were consistently ineffective with me and others.
So I call on us today to demand more of our leaders and demand more of ourselves.
Why should we see others as people first?
- Because it is simply the right thing to do. We all need to be respected, listened to and loved. We all want our lives to mean something worthwhile. We all long to be a part of something great. We all want to be happy! It is simply the right thing to do to offer these same opportunities to our fellow human beings.
- Because we also want to be seen as people, not only as co-workers or bosses. I know I do, don’t you? So then, let us set the expectation in our relationships that we will see each other as people first by practicing this principle ourselves.
- Because we will become effective with others. We have to make sure this is not the most important reason why we demonstrate care and concern. We should never care because of what we may get in return. We should care because we should care.
I know it is hard to see the person sometimes. We may be worried, busy, and stressed. We may be overwhelmed, overworked, and overstretched. Regardless of how busy we are, we have to stop and see people.
Let’s stop this crazy rush and dare to care. If we don’t, we will never have a significant impact on people.
So, I challenge all of us today to take this oath together and see people, not merely employees, staff, workers, or team members.
As imperfect as you may be,
you matter to God,
so you matter to me.
And today I pledge to see
The person behind the person I see.
