Perplexed, I said, “I thought he was coming here because he has pulmonary fibrosis.”

She said, “He is. But there is nothing we can do for his lungs. However, if we can strengthen the rest of the body, that will help his lungs.”

“How does that work?” I asked.

She explained, “The stronger and more efficiently the rest of the body works, the easier it is on the lungs. So, even though we can’t

strengthen the lungs directly, we can help your dad’s other muscles to compensate for his lower lung capacity. This results in a better quality of life.”

“Wow!” I said in amazement. “Ultimately, that’s what we’re aiming for. Thank you for helping my dad.”

After recounting the story, I explained that while we might not be able to change the underperforming worker, we know a few things. First, there is always an advantage to strengthening our team. Second, healthy people want to contribute fully, so maybe there is an underlying physical or emotional issue. Third, this worker has the best possible chance of growing, healing, or stepping up if a healthy and supportive team surrounds him.

The supervisor decided to book the training.

However, this conversation got me thinking about how we treat our bodies when we sprain our ankles or cut our fingers. We tend to give the injured (underperforming) area extra support. We even pamper it a bit.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do that with our fellow humans? Instead of pushing them away or assuming they are underperforming “on

purpose” what if we gave them extra attention to prove that we really care? Then, if we discover that they are simply not a good match for the team, they might be more open to help in finding a job that better suits their gifts and skillset.

This blog was inspired by a real conversation.