What the numbers didn't explain — until I asked

A team member's performance dropped with no apparent reason. Instead of watching them more closely, I asked directly. It was a health issue, not a commitment issue — and adjusting their schedule, not questioning them, is what restored their numbers the following month.

The numbers that didn't add up

A person on my team, in charge of our accounts in one country in the region, was very service-oriented and had learned both the platforms and the account itself quickly. But over time I started to notice their numbers shifting — their FTR (First Time Resolution, the percentage of tickets fully resolved at first contact) started to rise, and their availability moved compared to previous months, with no new case volume or work spike to explain it.

Asking, not watching

Instead of assuming something or starting to monitor her more closely, I asked for a space to talk — just to understand whether something was going on, because the numbers didn't line up with the circumstances.

It was health, not commitment

She told me she was in treatment for a skin condition, and her medical appointments fell within a fixed time window that limited her availability near the end of the day. Since the role was 100% remote — she covered the account from her own country — I added another person to the team to cover the last part of the day and adjusted her start time to compensate.

The result

The following month, her FTR returned to normal levels.

Removing an obstacle, not questioning her commitment

What mattered to me wasn't only fixing a metric. It was that I found it by paying attention to the data, not by watching her — and once I knew, the fix was removing an obstacle, not questioning her commitment.

Not just a good story — a decision with measurable backing

This isn't just a good story — it's a decision with measurable backing. According to an EY survey, 86% of employees directly link empathetic leadership to greater loyalty toward their employer, and Gallup data shows teams that feel supported by their leadership are 21% more profitable. Businessolver estimates the turnover risk from a lack of empathetic leadership at $180 billion annually worldwide — and replacing an employee costs, on average, between 50% and 200% of their annual salary. Paying attention in time isn't just the right thing — it is, measurably, cheaper than the alternative.

Data sources: EY Consulting Survey on Empathetic Leadership (86% of employees link empathy to loyalty); Gallup (supported teams, 21% more profitable); Businessolver ($180B USD turnover-risk estimate from a lack of empathy; replacement cost of 50-200% of annual salary).