The quality of care
In the cut-throat world of business, the quality of care is almost a ludicrous concept. When all we care about is bottom line, expansion, advancement, it is a challenge to infuse care in one’s work.
I find that my most successful projects come from a collaboration with clients who truly care about their businesses and their customers. When it is not worrying about the extra 10 minutes a consultant is going to charge you, the extra cost you will incur by giving a perk to your client, the extra meeting to attend, just so you can listen to opinions and feedback before proceeding.
The instances when you feel most cared for as a person and a co-worker is when others show you consideration and not make you feel like they are milking you dry for what you can offer before abruptly casting you aside.
As editor-in-chief myself for one of my clients, I notice the best works come from writers who bother to take the extra step in thinking through the work, checking what they have written, and putting themselves in the shoes of the target readers to evaluate each piece of work before and after completion.
As an interviewer sieving through applications, those that prompt me to read through are usually carefully drafted letters with something real and meaningful to say, instead of a standard template that has been used for all other applications.
However if we take just a little time to care more, the ripple effect goes a long way. Giving your consultant or freelancer extra time to complete the work means you get an excellent result that you do not have to waste any more time refining.
Taking a few minutes to read through your writing would allow you to catch mistakes and transform your hard work from shoddy to professional. It might lead you to your next project.
And spending a little effort in personalising your job application will simply mean you being chosen for a job that can potentially change your life.
If it seems like there is no place at work to show a little concern, be the light and lead the way. You might fail sometimes, or feel unappreciated, but there will also be moments when your effort will be met with amazing, if not positively life-altering, experiences.