Over the Christmas holidays, we had all our children at home. For the first week, we went all out—no chores, just good meals, laughter, outings, and rest. We wanted them to feel welcomed, valued, and cared for. At the end of that week, I asked them to clean up the entire house. What followed amazed me.
They didn’t need to be reminded. Before I got up from bed, they were on the job. Working together, they divided the tasks amongst themselves and got on with the task. They went above and beyond to deliver on the assignment.
That moment reminded me of a powerful lesson in people management: When people feel valued, when their humanity is honoured, discretionary effort follows naturally.
This applies far beyond our homes. What is the culture in your organisation like? Do people feel seen, respected, and trusted—or merely managed?
As leaders, managers, and supervisors, we don’t have to switch off empathy at the office door. Kindness, dignity, and understanding are not weaknesses. They are performance drivers.
It’s time to rehumanise the workplace—because people do their best work when they are treated as people first.
What does rehumanising work look like in your organisation?
#RehumanisingWork
#HumanCentredLeadership
#LeadershipDevelopment
#PeopleManagement
#OrganisationalCulture
