Give Empathy a Seat at the Table

When we think of empathy, we think of emotions and how emotions can make one weak when it comes to business and the workplace. What we fail to realize and communicate is that empathy does not make us weak but instead helps us creatively solve problems through hope and meaning. When we use empathy in our workplace we are making the world we live and work in a happier and healthier environment. Using our empathy, we are moving people to act and allowing each other insight to our differing perspectives.

Here are a few ways to create and encourage empathy in the workplace and your leadership:

1. Learn and develop a sincere interest in the needs, hopes, and dreams of other people. Your team and co workers are individuals who have goals and accomplishments they wish to achieve, what are some things that bring them passion? These passions fuel them. Create a conversation that shows you value them for who they are and allow yourself to develop a relationship deeper than surface level.

2. Show compassion when other people disclose a personal loss. We are going through a difficult time right now as a country. When you lead with empathy, understand that your team members are dynamic individuals who are shouldering personal problems while maintaining and balancing professional responsibilities. Keep your lines of communication open, offer support and encourage transparency to create an empathic environment everyone feels comfortable in.

3. Encourage genuine perspective-taking. It is important to remember that everyone comes to you and your business through different paths and walks of life. Place yourself in other’s shoes to gain their perspective and learn their understanding. This if applied correctly will lead to solving problems, managing conflicts, and driving innovation more efficiently.

Workplace empathy allows us to enhance our strategic relationships and performance. Developing our empathy creates the capacity to imagine ourselves in another's situation, and gifts us the ability to experience the emotions, ideas, and opinions of those we surround ourselves with. With everything going on in today’s world (Afghanistan, and those suffering with loss from covid-19) it’s important to lean into our empathic side and breed compassion into the core of our work. With that being said, I hope you find value in these tips and also find yourself using empathy to approach these difficult times.