Michael Kroth and Carolyn Keeler in a thoughtful article entitled, Caring as a Managerial Strategy in the Human Resource Development Review outlined a number of actions by managers that demonstrate caring:

• Invites employees
• Is receptive and fully available to the employee
• Is emotionally accessible
• Pays attention
• Shows interest in the employee
• Accepts the employee
• Remains open to ideas, possibilities (is open minded)
• Empathizes
• Advances employees
• Has a desire to help the employee succeed
• Puts employee plans and goals ahead of his or her own
• Advocates for the employee
• Commits to employee success
• Protects employees
• Seeks opportunities for advancing employees
• Builds employees capacities
• Sees individual potential and helps employees grow and learn
• Informs employees
• Facilitates problem solving
• Gives generative feedback
• Encourages employees
• Believes in employees
• Teaches and mentors employees
• Connects with employees
• Shares feelings
• Develops relationships of mutual trust and obligation

If you supervise others, how many of those behaviours do you practice?  Does the person you report to exhibit these behaviours?  Tell us your thoughts.