If I asked you to think of a coworker who is kind, thoughtful, warm, and makes the workplace a little better, someone probably comes to mind.
Hopefully multiple people across your career. I know I’ve run into many of them, at least.
That person always:
→ Considers how everyone else is feeling
→ Makes sure people feel included in conversations
→ And adds context and perspectives most people wouldn’t think of.
These people stick out to us because they aren’t the norm – there’s a lot of value in their presence and perspective.
They have a highly coveted soft skillset.
As such, I’ve watched many of these naturally empathetic, highly emotionally intelligent people become a crutch or buffer for others in the workplace.
I’ve seen them shouldering burdens like:
→ Needing to speak up to give a contrarian or unpopular point of view.
→ Pointing out lines crossed/statements made (about themselves or others) that the speaker may not have thought twice about.
→ Becoming a voice of reason, even on topics outside their expertise/comfort zone.
→ Having less time or energy left to look out for themselves (especially if they’re the only one like them within a group).
→ And a lot more.
I’ve also seen highly reliant organizations start to crumble from within after those people leave.
If you can think of that person in your workplace, then experience tells me your company culture may be teetering on a thread, even if you don’t realize it.
Here’s a great article on correcting that problem before it becomes one (I especially like the part about using those culture leaders as empathy co-creators):https://lnkd.in/eee8Mvni