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I’m not arguing with the advice that a business will be safer from criticism if they appear to give a damn. I am arguing, however, that it might be nice if companies DID give a damn! Or rather the people who make up the company, starting right from the top and going all the way down to rock bottom.

Where was caring that night? Or maybe the question is where was the ability to demonstrate caring – when the question came up and the answer was Rules are Rules? Are we forgetting everything that makes us good?

I started to say where was our compassion, which separated us from other animals, but even some animals can sense something is wrong – like stranding this young woman – and they’ll act on their concern. A herd of female elephants, for example, would not strand a member of the herd, the way the ferry employee stranded the would-be passenger.

But all is not lost: studies on human infants show they have an innate sense of kindness and will favor someone seen to be doing something kind vs someone doing something unkind. So it’s not extinguished yet. We just have to allow ourselves to be aware of it and then to act accordingly.

Companies need to set up a mechanism for how individual employees can use their innate sense of concern when there is an unusual and bad situation. They need to put in place ways the individual can address whatever it is and make it right, one way or another.

Too loose? I’d rather too loose than too tight. I’d rather not take chances on stranding people with no way to take care of themselves. I’d rather not find myself pretending to care about people in situations which clearly call for concern.

I’ll go with real caring any day. Why is this not true of the overwhelming majority of company management?

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Starbucks could never get away with this!

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