Anticipation of Other People's Needs
In nursing school we were always taught about the importance of anticipating others' needs. It is such an indispensable value for a nurse to have as there are a lot of situations where it can come in handy. First, it helps us as we deal with people who may not be able to verbalise their needs well or effectively or who may display their needs in a different way. Second, it helps us make a medical procedure quicker by knowing the right sequence of events and what the doctor may need in an operation or an emergency. Thirdly, it helps us know what to expect on certain patient conditions and therefore prepare for possible emergencies.
Anticipation of needs should not only be limited to nursing. It is actually very useful in all aspects of human relations. It is rooted from our innate empathetic nature as human beings to be thoughtful and sensitive towards other people's needs. Some people are really great and natural at it while some actually need to work more on it understandably so as humans can be complex creatures and may have different needs.
Nonetheless, I believe we humans should nurture this skill and improve it. We can start doing so by paying more attention to what people close to us consider as vital, listening to what people say, and looking at the situation as a whole and watching out for non-verbal cues. A good example is helping your partner or parents with the household chore even before you get asked to do so. This bearing in mind, that these family members are probably juggling job and domestic work altogether and probably drowning in work. By helping them a little, you provide time for them to rest and also make them feel special and important. Another example could be as simple as preparing coffee for a friend or a colleague if you're pulling an all nighter. It takes less than 5 minutes and it goes a long way also boosts the morale.
Another way you can anticipate others needs is by remembering and keeping track of their preferences may it be in food, fashion, movies, etcetera. And making sure to incorporate these preferences in making decisions with regards to this person. For instance at a hospital I used to work in, I remember my boss asking my colleagues what I liked for my birthday and well everyone said I like fragrant things and on my birthday they gave me a lot of bath bombs and body butters. And I really appreciated and enjoyed it. It made me feel very special. In contrast, another of my previous employer gave a colleague who does not drink alcohol wine for her birthday. And well she was gracious about it but she never really used it.
In summary, anticipation of others' needs is vital in personal and professional human relationships as: it makes someone feel important, loved, and special; provide comfort to someone; alleviate someones burdens; improve morale and camaraderie; and foster a more friendly environment in general. But while doing so don't forget to also be considerate of your own personal needs. As you too are important and valued.
