What does it mean to Care Personally?

The concept of Care Personally is about giving a damn, sharing more than just your work self, and encouraging everyone who reports to you to do the same. It’s not enough to care only about people’s ability to perform a job. To have a good relationship, you have to care about each of the people who work for you as human beings.

The first step to Caring Personally is deciding that your job is to enable the success of your team. It means you put their needs first, above yours.

Caring Personally, more than anything else, is about listening to people. Of course, listen to their hopes, their fears, their dreams, but also listen to their ideas for improving the team, the work, the environment. All the answers are there from your team; you just have to ask.

 
As a manager, one of the most important things you can do is show your employees that you care about them personally, not just as workers but as whole human beings. This doesn’t mean you have to be best friends or share every detail of your personal life — it’s about demonstrating that you genuinely care about their well-being and want to support their growth and success.

Ways to Care Personally
  1. Regularly asking them questions to understand what’s on their mind and what’s important to them, like “What’s on your mind?” or “How can I help remove any blockers for you?” This shows you’re invested in their needs and challenges.
  2. Make time for real, meaningful conversations, even when you’re busy. Carving out that one-on-one time to listen to their stories, understand their motivations, and encourage them to pursue their dreams conveys that you see them as whole people, not just employees.
  3. Providing frequent guidance and feedback to help them develop and grow. Coaching them, giving them credit when they shine, and removing obstacles for them demonstrates that you’re invested in their ongoing success.
  4. Take the time to get to know them as individuals — their hobbies, families, goals, and challenges. Showing you care about the whole person, not just their work, builds trust and a stronger connection.

The key is to put their needs first and demonstrate that you’re truly in service to your team, not the other way around. When employees feel that their manager genuinely cares about them as people, it can go a long way in building trust, engagement, and a positive work environment.

This takes emotional energy and a true commitment to your team’s well-being. But it’s so worth it. When you care personally, you build deep, meaningful relationships that make the work more rewarding for everyone.

Your employees will feel valued, supported, and inspired to do their best. And you’ll experience the joy of helping people you genuinely care about achieve their dreams. That’s the kind of manager-employee relationship we should all strive for.