Empathy in the Workplace

In explaining the human mind, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio shared, “We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think.” Not only are we feeling, but Damasio’s study also revealed that every decision we make is grounded in emotion. Going a step further than that, we actually can’t make a decision if we can’t feel.

Unfortunately, this is something marketing professionals often overlook. We rely on logic or rationality to appeal to customers without once tapping into the emotions at play in their purchase decisions. Yet we’ll wonder why conversions are low and fewer people are journeying through the sales funnel (spoiler alert: it’s no longer a funnel—it’s a loop).

BY SHALENE GUPTA1 
The job market is rough, the pandemic has burned everyone out, and the overall mood about work is sour. Now, according to the 2023 State of Workplace Empathy Report from HR benefits technology company Businessolver, employees’ perceptions of workplace empathy has dropped.

The study surveyed 1,000 employees, HR professionals, and CEOs across six industries about the behaviors and benefits that make them feel like their workplace cares about them, and how they thought their employers were doing in that regard. Here are some key highlights:

by Ashley Halsey

Believe it or not, most people believe that the best way to become a successful leader is to exhibit the highest IQ, or at least, appear emotionless and analytical in the face of their workforce.

Empathy will most likely won’t get a look because that might exhibit “weakness” in the workplace. In other words, the less emotion one has, the more successful he will be.

But the truth is, if you want your staff to be happier and more productive, then practicing empathy is the way to go. In fact, the best leaders are the complete opposite of emotionless and analytical. Instead, they’re empathetic, compassionate, highly sensitive, and have high emotional intelligence.

With that said, here are 10 reasons why empathetic leadership matters

What is Empathy, and why is it Important in Leadership

Empathy is a fundamental trait of any great leader. It involves the ability to understand and feel the emotions of others. This means putting oneself in another person’s shoes, seeking to understand their experiences, and reacting with compassion and concern. A leader with empathy can build strong relationships with their team members, earn their trust, and create a positive working environment. They are also better able to communicate with their employees, understand their individual needs, and make informed decisions that cater to the team and the company. 

Empathy allows leaders to understand and appreciate their employees as unique individuals and establish healthy, collaborative relationship,

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com

#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

#EmpathySummit: http://EmpathySummit.com 

#EmpathyTent https://www.empathytent.com/

People who lack empathy, as I once did, share the belief that they can get a ton accomplished when they don’t concern themselves with “people issues.” They think that lacking empathy just might provide the buoyancy to results rather than the barrier. But the tragedy is that sometimes we need to take a subjective view. We need to humanize the people in front of us. We need to step into situations and ask: “What would I want to happen if it were me?” “What does this person need most right now?”

Teach active listening: Train employees to listen attentively, without judgment or interruption, when others share their feelings and concerns. Active listening helps build trust, rapport, and understanding among team members, which in turn fosters empathy and strong working relationships.

Promote empathy-building exercises: Encourage employees to put themselves in another person's shoes and consider their perspective, needs, and feelings. Role-playing activities, case studies, and group discussions can be effective ways to build empathy. By fostering a culture of empathy, employees are more likely to support and understand each other, leading to a healthier work environment.

Creating a culture of empathy in today's fast-paced and competitive work environment can be difficult. Empathy, on the other hand, is a necessary component of a positive and productive working culture. Bodhisattva ideals can play an important role in creating empathy and constructive connections among coworkers.

A bodhisattva is someone who seeks enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. In other terms, a bodhisattva is someone who is dedicated to serving others and assisting them in achieving their objectives. The bodhisattva ideal relies on compassion, selflessness, and empathy. These ideas can be implemented in the workplace to foster an environment of empathy.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

The Benefits of Empathy in the Workplace

1. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration: Empathy fosters open communication and encourages individuals to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. When employees feel understood and supported, they are more likely to share their perspectives and collaborate effectively, leading to better decision-making and innovative problem-solving.
2. Reduced Stress and Burnout: Empathy helps create a supportive work environment where employees feel comfortable discussing challenges and seeking assistance. This reduces feelings of isolation and stress, which can significantly decrease the risk of burnout.
3. Improved Employee Engagement and Retention: Employees who feel understood and valued are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. This increased engagement leads to higher job satisfaction and employee retention, reducing the costs associated with turnover.
4. Enhanced Leadership: ...
5. Positive Organizational Culture...

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

by Stanley Porter

Are You Walking the Empathy Talk?
It’s one thing to say you care. It’s another thing for people to feel you mean it. According to EY, 52% of employees currently believe their company’s efforts to be empathetic toward employees are dishonest―up from 46% in 2021, and employees increasingly report a lack of follow-through when it comes to company promises (47% compared to 42% in 2021).

While leaders may not intend to come across as empathetically dishonest, it’s their employees’ perceptions that count. To avoid being lumped into the leadership category of performative hypocrites, empathy should be thought of as a skill that can be developed and practiced daily. As Catalyst’s Hariton shared, “A lot of people think that you're either born empathetic, or if you're not, your mother taught you to be empathetic. And, if you didn't learn it by the time you were five years old, forget it. While certain personality traits tend to be more empathetic, empathy can absolutely be learned and developed. Practicing empathy is an actionable way to drive connection at work. It’s a force for productivity, work-life integration, and positive work experiences. And the good news is you can practice it in business, as well as at home with your family, your relatives, and your friends.”

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

Empathy has quickly become the new leadership buzzword. Some experts even debate the effectiveness of empathy versus compassion.

My work in the field of human care and connection began after a long career in corporate business development. In the aftermath of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, I served the school and community for five years. During that time, I observed that those hurting hurt even more when people around them don’t know how to adequately support them. I realized quickly that the gap between empathy and caring actions I witnessed at Sandy Hook was happening everywhere: not just in crises and tragedies, but every day in communities, teams and workplaces and organizations.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

by Askari Jaffer
In today's rapidly changing and highly competitive business landscape, successful leaders are no longer just those with technical expertise and a strong bottom-line focus. The modern workplace demands leaders who possess emotional intelligence and the ability to empathize with their teams. Empathy in leadership is not a soft skill but a crucial factor in creating a supportive and productive work environment.
 

In the wake of COVID, empathy has been cited as one of the best ways organizational leaders are able to help employees manage stressful times. But a new survey is showing that this quality may be lacking in many managers.

While 92% of CEOs view their HR professionals as empathetic — a 27-point jump from 2022 — just 68% of HR professionals view their CEO as empathetic, a 16-point decline from 2022 and the lowest levels ever reported, according to Businessolver.

Balancing empathy and professionalism
In HR, communication is everything. Without it, people start to fill in the gaps with their own narratives — "They only care about the bottom line." An organization without healthy and transparent communication is the prime environment for gossip to thrive, especially in sensitive situations like mergers and acquisitions. Everyone has horror stories, which feed into rumors of job cuts or loss of benefits because "I know someone who went through the same thing."

But communication is very nuanced, and HR professionals must appreciate that nuance to communicate and explain with a balance of empathy and professionalism. We often must communicate strategically, giving different audiences the information they need at the right times for the most effective delivery. Otherwise, we may be backed into an uncomfortable corner or say the wrong thing.

by Andrzej Smiech

Empathic leaders can build and develop relationships with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, with different opinions and perceptions of reality. They can express their views in such a way as to be understood by others; they adapt their communication and argumentation about diverse audiences.

I believe empathy is the foundation for developing more complex leadership competencies, such as influence and impact, building cooperation, managing conflict, and inspiring and mentoring with a low awareness of the mechanisms affecting how the environment we are supposed to manage works.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com

#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

#EmpathySummit: http://EmpathySummit.com 

Empathy has always been important but now, rather than being regarded as just a necessary soft skill, it is being shown that it can drive significant business results impacting everything from innovation to retention.

The results of the Catalyst study showed that:

• Empathy is a force for productivity, life-work integration, and positive work experiences.
• Empathy boosts productivity.
• Employees with empathic managers and leaders are more innovative and engaged in their work than are employees with less empathic managers and leaders.
• Women of colour experience less burnout when they have more empathic senior leaders.
• Empathic leaders respect employee life circumstances.
• Empathic leaders support both life and work needs.
• Empathic leaders foster inclusion.
  Senior leader empathy is linked to reduced intent to leave.

The Importance of Active Listening
Active listening is a deliberate effort to understand and engage with a speaker’s message. It involves more than just hearing the words; it requires processing, interpreting, and responding to the information. By practicing active listening, sales professionals can:

Build trust and rapport with clients, paving the way for successful sales negotiations
Uncover clients’ needs, concerns, and preferences, which helps in tailoring solutions and overcoming objections
Strengthen interpersonal relationships by demonstrating empathy and understanding

By Jim Wilson
Practicing empathy in leadership goes a long way with employees, according to a new study.

In fact, 87 per cent of employees believe that leaders who practice genuine empathy can positively influence employees' mental health and overall wellbeing, reports Ernst & Young (EY).

Leaders should take note of this, as 38 per cent of Canadian employees feel their personal needs and wellbeing aren't being prioritized at work.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

Five tips to cultivate a culture of empathy
Pieterse provided five tips on how to cultivate a culture of empathy:

Don’t jump to conclusions: “If we don’t start asking questions and we’re not curious we’re not going to get to the heart of the problem,” said Pieterse. “We need to get to the heart of the problem to be able to know what the solutions are.”

Practice active listening: “I think sometimes we listen to respond instead of to understand,” explained Pieterse. “Ask yourself, are you really listening to understand and relate to that individual.”

Get a better perspective: With all the talk of DEIB in recent years, getting a better perspective should come easily. “You’ve got different people, with different backgrounds, skills and ideas and they’re all valuable, so are you treating it as valuable?”

by Emma Williamson 

A survey of more than 1,000 employees* has revealed that three quarters (74%) of employees say their leaders need to be doing more to understand why people are resistant to change and of those, over half (55%) said it would improve staff retention. Forty five percent also said it would make people more productive.

The survey shows that lack of support from or trust in leaders (41%), lack of awareness about the reason for change (38%), change in job role (27%) and exclusion from change-related decisions (23%) are the main reasons that would make people resistant to change.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

by Tom Ryan

An Ernst & Young (EY) survey finds 86 percent of employees believe empathetic leadership boosts morale and 87 percent see empathy as essential to fostering an inclusive environment. Many, however, feel their own employer’s efforts of this kind are disingenuous.

According to the survey taken last fall of more than 1,000 employed U.S. workers:

Fifty-two percent currently believe their company’s efforts to be empathetic toward employees are dishonest, up from 46 percent in 2021;

Forty-seven percent believe their company lacks follow-through when it comes to company promises, up from 42 percent in 2021.
EY cited past internal research showing flexibility in when and where employees work was a critical component of “fulfill[ing] the authenticity equation” regarding company culture.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

by Dr. Nicole Price

I have spent years of my life in the absence of empathy— in giving and receiving. Now, I have lived several years practicing empathy in my daily life, and I can tell you I am better because of it. I believe the people around me are, too. And if I, a trained engineer with few natural empathetic tendencies, can learn to be empathetic, anyone can.

My empathy journey began with my interaction with a stranger who became my mentor and friend, Dr. Ian Roberts. He was the first person to cause me to consider empathy as something that might hold value—but that consideration didn’t happen overnight. In the beginning, I knew there was no way I was going to hop on his empathy train, but I was curious as to why he believed in it so strongly and chose to give it so freely.

#EmpathyCircles: A highly effective #Empathy building practice. http://EmpathyCircle.com    
#EmpathyTraining: http://BestEmpathyTraining.com

by By Mimi Nicklin, 
Here are three ways empathy can supercharge your career:

Empathy works across the entire organisation
Empathy is not just limited to your interactions with colleagues and peers, it can also be applied upwardly to leaders and bosses. By understanding and connecting with the perspectives and concerns of your managers, you can build stronger relationships and gain recognition as someone who is engaged and interested in their role.

This can lead to more opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization. When you show empathy towards your boss, you not only create a better working relationship but also help them to understand your own perspective, making it easier to collaborate and work effectively together.

The more you know, the more you grow