In general, I think it’s my responsibility to make sure that people are doing things that are interesting and important (and to communicate why those things are important and interesting). And then it’s the responsibility of me and our management chain to make sure that people are doing things which are a good fit for their skills, motivation, etc.

I always think it helps when management knows at least a little about what people’s personal issues are, so they have a chance to make suggestions and try to adapt things. But ultimately I think people’s personal lives are a separate thread from what they do at the company. Though I certainly hope that people’s work at the company represents a positive and satisfying activity for them.