Even the best employees can have personal circumstances that crop up and interfere with performance and success. A good boss/employer keeps this in mind and helps staff members navigate those trouble spots, according to a recent Harvard Business Review online piece.

“In today’s ever-more-absorbing and 24/7 world of work, it’s easy to forget that people also have a personal and private life, and that no matter how engaged and talented they are, personal drawbacks and setbacks will often interfere with their career success,” writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, the chief talent scientist at ManpowerGroup and an associate at Harvard’s Entrepreneurial Finance Lab.

He acknowledges that this reality is almost obvious and yet it isn’t acknowledged often enough.

Still, the dynamic is an important part of ongoing discussions about work-life balance, and Chamorro-Premuzic writes that good bosses and employers ostensibly pay attention to and care about the issue. In the end, it makes good business sense, the article notes.

“Good bosses and supportive employers will want to understand your circumstances,” the piece asserts. “You can be sure they will have a vested interest in helping you deal with them so you can deliver in accordance with your talents and feel grateful and committed to them in the long run.”

The full Harvard Business Review article – “4 Reasons Talented Employees Don’t Reach Their Potential” – can be reached at this link. (Subscription may be required for access).