# An Exhaustible Resource By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-10-07 Caring might be one of the least examined, important resources in organizations. Intelligence might be one of the most examined and over-valued. Why is intelligence given so much attention, whereas care is neglected? One reason might reflect the valuations of the larger society. Another might be the desire to conflate success with intelligence. Whatever the reason, organizations misunderstand the role of caring in success. People want to care. People start out caring. Caring is normal; apathy is a learned coping mechanism. People will care until they learn their organization doesn’t care about or for them. When this occurs, many become jaded. What is truly amazing and revealing is how little it takes to prevent this from happening. If an organization treats its employees respectfully and refrains from lying and manipulating them, this is often more than sufficient. In short, organizations only have to offer the type of human courtesy one would offer a stranger. And yet, this seldom happens. Why? Sadly, disrespect and coercion are part of the structure. It is an expected outcome from the way we do business. One would have to do extra work to overcome this externality or design feature of the system. And because it takes more work, it seldom happens. However, organizations that understand that caring is an exhaustible resource that influences organizational success are better able to conserve and replenish it. Take time to care about caring. It’s time well spent. #### Related Items [[Caring]] [[Organization]] [[Resource]] [[Intelligence]] [[Success]] [[Solidarity]]