Caring for someone means meeting their basic needs, like a parent does. Caring about them means actually engaging, asking questions, building real relationships. A workplace can offer all the perks and programs it wants, but employees won't feel they belong without relational care.
Chapters
So now that you've kind of explained the care about, maybe you can explain what care for is and kind of the difference between those.
As a parent, you have to care for your children, but as a leader, you don't have to care for your employees. The company may give you access to different tools and programs and mental health programs and skills, skills building, and so on and so forth. That doesn't mean that they feel they belong, and it doesn't mean they feel they matter. But if you care about someone, you're pausing with them and you're asking them questions. You're asking them what you need. You're engaging with them. But caring for people, yes, it's important, but that doesn't build a healthy culture. Healthy culture is about relationships. It's not about benefits and perks, more access to more things. And so I think a lot of times with kids, because we didn't have conversations where I felt cared about, and that has been a challenge for me in my life, is to learn to see my own value in not having to do something to gain respect, but actually just opening up who I am to cultivate these relationships where the value