Do you really care? - Five things people really need in difficult times

People under pressure often spread hustle and bustle. This increases the feeling of pressure on people around them and heightens expectations. The outcomes are rush, restlessness, lack of reflection, activism, and overlooking the human. This is exactly the opposite of the actual needs people have in such moments. In crisis, focus on the following 5 behaviors in particular to really help people around you:

1. Maintaining or enhancing self-esteem. People who feel valued are more willing to share responsibility, confront challenges, and adapt to change.
2. Listening and responding with empathy. When you listen and understand, it supports open, two-way communication. It establishes mutual respect and trust.
3. Asking for help and encouraging involvement. Most people appreciate providing input on decisions impacting them and their work. Often, better ideas emerge by involving others. People commit more to things they have helped build.
4. Sharing thoughts, feelings, and rationale to build trust. Trust is important and you can build it with your peers and teams by appropriately sharing your thoughts, feelings, and rationale.
5. Providing support without removing responsibility to build a sense of ownership. Building ownership helps maintain confidence and responsibility.

One more thing to keep in mind: "Friends through hardship's worth a penny. Help do offer you so many. Are they then in no case jealous, these friends hence are real and precious" (Paul Heyse, translation). Enjoy the luck of others and help them pursuing their happiness. This will pay off and make the world step by step a better place.
Our source for the 5 tips were the DDI crises recommendations.