In his article about the terrorist attacks on Mumbai’s historic Taj Hotel, Alix Spiegel shares that the employees risked their lives to care for the safety and security of the guests. It was not just one employee, but “dozens of workers — waiters and busboys, and room cleaners who knew back exits and paths through the hotel — chose to stay in a building under siege until their customers were safe. They were the very model of ethical, selfless behavior.”
Rohit Deshpande, a Harvard business professor, decided to study the case and proposes,”It perhaps has something to do with the kinds of people that they recruit to become employees at the Taj, and then the manner that they train them and reward them.” He found that employees are recruited not because of their degrees or educational standing but because of their personality characteristics… specifically respect and empathy.
This article inspired me today. Empathy matters in everything we do…
