Be a CARE-Giver

I have to admit, I don’t get upset too easily. It takes a lot to disturb the peace that I’ve worked hard to attain in my life. But there is one thing that drives me insane. It REALLY gets my blood boiling. Do you know what it is?

Apathy.

Specifically, people who don’t care. There are even those who don’t care that they don’t care. That REALLY upsets me. There’s a Navajo Proverb which states, “You can not wake someone up who pretends to be asleep.”

It’s frustrating when a child or an adolescent doesn’t care, but it’s an ENTIRELY different story when a GROWN adult doesn’t care. People like that stand out because their overall demeanor and lack of effort are palpable. From a leadership perspective, one of the worst things you can do is to try and make people care. It’s like slamming your head against a wall; except the wall won’t hurt as much.

It’s important to see potential and invest in someone. Oftentimes, you might be the first person who sees that potential. And that’s great, when that team member responds favorably and wants be invested in.

However, when you encounter someone who’s not hungry, it’s excruciating to try and “feed” the person. Try your absolute hardest to invest your time and energy with those who care. Surround yourself with those kinds of people. The CARE-givers. They can’t help but find ways to express their caring and they have no problems giving their best effort. (That’s why I call them CARE-givers.)

Which brings me to the Renaissance Paris Nobel Eiffel. My family and I stayed there recently and were surrounded by CARE-givers.💡

As our taxi pulled up to the hotel, Armando and Ahmed eagerly ran to the van to extend the warmest welcome imaginable. The smiles. The energy. The polish. First-class, in an unpretentious sort of way.

Michele checked us in. Warm, hospitable, elegant.

Jin escorted us to our rooms. Professional, attentive, poised.

One evening, I asked for some hot water, honey and lemon to be brought to our room. The very next morning, when I came downstairs, Mathilde promptly made a hot beverage with rosemary, fresh ginger and honey.🍵

I didn’t even ask for it! But she was thoughtful, anticipatory and caring. Hallmarks of a world-class care-giver.

Gael and Lea, at the concierge desk always had options for my options. If I asked for “A,” they gave me A, B and suggestions for C.

Creating that kind of service culture is not easy. It takes daily coaching and expectation-setting, mixed with recognition, modeling and low tolerance for mediocrity.

Yes, the kryptonite for CARE-givers is apathetic colleagues. Putting someone who cares next to someone who doesn’t care is like punishment…for the care-giver. They would rather work by themselves. They would rather be short-staffed than have to work with someone who doesn’t care.

If you love to give the best of yourself, in the name of service, don’t stop. The world needs more of you.

Takeaway: Be a CARE-giver.

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