If we focus on taking care of people then performance will suffer!

This seems to be a commonly held view, that somehow an organisation becomes “soft” if it seeks to create a better working climate for its people.  The thinking seems to be that managers have to “go easy” on people – maybe letting them get away with things because they have to “be nice”.  Maybe there’s also an underlying assumption that workers will exploit such a climate.

But does that have to be so?  And is it even true that the best performance comes from being tough on people without caring?

Why can’t we have “care for people” AND “focus on performance” as opposed to thinking it’s EITHER/OR.

Even more, I’d argue that the best performance over the long haul will come from highly motivated and engaged people that are fulfilled in their work, where their managers call out the best in them because they want them to be the best versions of themselves.

Of course, getting the right balance takes some work.  Being “nice” or “tough” can be far easier.  Yet it’s surely worth it to deliver better results for the organisation and a better life for everyone involved.

So, am I being naively optimistic or setting a worthwhile challenge?