How much is enough?

"How much is enough?" I've been asked this questions a few times in my tenure as a Behavior Analyst and Clinical Director.  The question has come out of frustration from different managers and their direct reports.  Well some would say direct reports.. I would say "mentees." 

Whenever I am presented with this question the answer in my head is "I don't know." The reality of the situation is that I do not know.  I operate from a COMPASSIONATE approach you see.  I had to look up the definition for a presentation the team and I did recently: 

"Sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it."

That quickly drove me to look up the word SYMPATHETIC.  

"Sympathy an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other." 

So when considering a specific situation with an employee my go to perspective is the following: "What is this HUMAN BEING going through at the moment?" "What is their perspective?" "What is impacting their performance?" "How can I see the world from their eyes?" 

Once I have made that consideration then I will move on to have a conversation and take next steps.  I do understand that organizations must behave according to policy.  I can also tell you that adhering strictly to policy, more often than not, does not allow the LIVED EXPERIENCE of the human being on the other side of the "issue." We are living in a world we are understanding trauma as a function of INTERSECTIONALITY more and more. 

How can we as leaders incorporate this into our style? 

STOP THINK... Be Compassionate Be Sympathetic... the lived experience of the person on the other side of the issue will tell you "How much is enough?"