I wrapped up a five-month coaching engagement this week, and my client surprised me.
He told me that before we started working together, he’d:
Read my website.
Knew I’d written a book.
Knew I’d coached and trained thousands of professionals.
Understood the productivity results I could help him get.
But there was something he hadn’t expected.
The level of genuine care I would bring to our work together.
He used the word compassion.
And I’ve been thinking about that ever since.
Because I spend a lot of time talking about productivity.
How to focus better. Make faster decisions. Protect your time. Delegate. Set boundaries. Prioritize what matters. Get out of reaction mode.
I believe deeply in all of it.
And I also believe we can get so focused on being efficient that we forget there’s a human being on the other side of the work.
- A team member who seems a little off.
- A colleague who needs a few extra minutes to explain what’s going on.
- An employee who missed a deadline and may have a reason you haven’t heard yet.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is slow down long enough to pay attention.
Here are three ways to bring a little more humanity into your workday.
#1: Slow down long enough to notice.
We move fast at work.
There’s always another meeting, another email, another deadline, another decision to make.
- So when someone says, “I’m fine,” we move on.
- When someone normally engaged goes quiet, we may barely notice.
- When someone misses a deadline, our first thought might be about the impact on the project.
Pay attention to what’s happening beyond the task.
You don’t need to turn every interaction into a heart-to-heart.
Sometimes it’s simply asking, “Hey, you seem a little quieter today. Everything okay?”
Those extra 30 seconds can tell you a lot.
#2: Listen before you jump in.
I’m a problem solver.
If you tell me something isn’t working, my brain immediately starts thinking about how to fix it.
Maybe yours does too.
But sometimes people need a minute before they need an answer.
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- Let them finish.
- Ask another question.
- Resist the urge to fill the silence.
You might learn that the issue you were about to solve isn’t actually the issue at all.
And when people feel like you’re truly listening, they’re more likely to tell you what’s really going on.
That can save a whole lot of time, frustration, and misunderstanding later.
#3: Remember that caring improves performance.
Compassion can sound like a “soft” leadership skill.
But consider what happens when people know you genuinely care about them.
- They speak up sooner.
- They tell you when they’re stuck.
- They’re more comfortable asking questions.
- They share problems before those problems get bigger.
- They’re more willing to have difficult conversations.
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And they’re more likely to extend that same care to the people around them.
That creates trust.
And trust makes it much easier to get good work done.
The Bottom Line
I’m grateful my client shared that observation with me because it reminded me of something I don’t talk about nearly enough.
Productivity is about getting meaningful results with less stress.
Sometimes the best way to get there is to stop thinking about how quickly you can move on to the next thing.
Look up.
Listen.
Give someone your full attention.
The most productive thing you do today might be giving someone your time.
Rooting for you,
Mridu
Mridu Parikh
Productivity Expert | TEDx Speaker | Author of Accomplish It!
P.S. If you want your team to work with greater focus, intention, and less stress, learn more about my team training programs here.
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