You know, that word, “considerado”… it sounds simple, like just thinking about something. But man, it really hit me differently a while back. It’s more than just a quick thought; it’s about actually seeing the other side, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, maybe?
My Turn Thinking Things Over
So, there was this situation at my old job. We had this big project, super tight deadline, everyone was stressed out. Classic stuff, right? I was plugging away, doing my part, pulling late nights like everyone else. We had this one guy, let’s call him Dave. Nice enough guy usually, but he started getting really snappy. Sending short emails, cutting people off in meetings. You could feel the tension whenever he was around.
What happened next?
Well, people started grumbling. You know how it is. Whispers in the hallway, messages flying back and forth. Stuff like:
- “What’s Dave’s problem?”
- “He’s making this whole thing worse.”
- “Someone needs to talk to him.”
And honestly, I was right there with them. I was annoyed too. It felt like he wasn’t being considerate of the team spirit, just dumping his stress on everyone else. It was making a tough situation even tougher.
So, one evening, I was packing up, ready to finally head home, and I saw Dave still at his desk, just staring at his screen. Looked absolutely beat. On impulse, I just walked over. Didn’t really have a plan. I just asked, “Hey man, you doing okay? Rough week, huh?”
He kinda jumped, didn’t expect anyone, I guess. And then he just sighed. Like, this huge, tired sigh. Turns out, his mom was really sick. Like, seriously ill. He was trying to juggle the project deadlines while dealing with hospital visits, worried sick, barely sleeping. He hadn’t told anyone because he didn’t want to seem like he was making excuses or couldn’t handle the pressure.
That hit me hard.
Here we were, thinking he was just being a jerk, being inconsiderate. But the reality? He was drowning, and trying his best not to drag anyone else down with him, even if it came out all wrong. We hadn’t stopped to consider what might be going on behind the scenes. We just reacted to the surface stuff.
After that chat, things didn’t magically get easy. The project was still hard. But my perspective totally shifted. I mentioned it quietly to a couple of the others, just the basics, that he was dealing with some heavy personal stuff. And you know what? The vibe changed. People started cutting him some slack. Someone offered to grab him coffee. Another person double-checked some report for him without being asked. Small things, but they mattered.
It made me realize being “considerado” isn’t just about being polite. It’s about making that tiny bit of effort to wonder why. To give someone the benefit of the doubt. We’re all just trying to get through stuff, you know? Remembering that, actually acting on that… yeah, that’s being truly considerate.
