The Case for Empathy in Today’s World of Work

Empathy is a long-term strategy for organizational success

The current state of work is complex. In 2023, a recession is potentially looming, many large corporations are laying off a significant portion of their workforce, and we are still dealing with the continued effects of a global pandemic. In addition, the release of AI solutions (such as ChatGPT/Bard) adds concern about the future of trusted content and if certain professions will be automated.

Employees are under stress from worrying about if their jobs will be around tomorrow, let alone 5 years from now. Some work in a constant state of unease, wondering if the projects they are working on today will even be around next week.

Leaders are having to make quick decisions about their employee base, usually under intense pressures. In these situations, as humans, we tend to rely on biases and what will get us out of the short-term crisis. This approach might help us overcome the current obstacle, but will not set our organizations up for long-term success.

What would happen if, in these high stakes decisions about our employees, we took a strategic people management approach layered with empathy? Empathy is the action of understanding and being sensitive to another individual’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

How can empathy help my business?

Recent research from Catalyst highlighted why empathy is not just an optional component, but a necessary one in today’s organizations:

• The more empathetic their managers and senior leaders, the more productive and innovative employees were. Want to increase your output and have your employees more engaged in their work? Empathy seems to be the key.

• When employees view their Senior Leaders as empathetic, they are less likely to leave the organization. Turnover is expensive- not only does the work go undone until the position is filled, but it takes time and money to hire and train a new employee. Want to keep your talent? Empathetic leaders inspire people to stay.

• Empathetic leadership is linked to a more inclusive environment where employees also feel that their life circumstances are respected. Want your employees to have a better experience and feel valued by you and the organization as a whole? Embedding empathy will improve your company’s culture.

Ok, empathy is great, but HOW do we embed it?

There are 3 types of empathy that managers and leaders should think through and apply to their daily work and decision-making:

1) Cognitive- Do you actually understand how your employees are doing or do you just think that you do? Instead of making assumptions, be intentional about really understanding their experiences. This involves not only observations, but investigation and inquiry. Listen, then reflect to make sure that you understand where they are coming from. If we skip this step and rely on our quick judgement of how WE would feel in a situation or how we think they feel, we will make our decisions based on biased data- thinking we are doing the best by them, while in fact, we could be doing the opposite.

2) Emotional- Do you show employees your own vulnerability or do you put up a cold front? Your employees understand that you are human, and they likely know that you are under a lot of pressure with your role. Making sure that you are able to express feelings of concern and care for them, including when times are tough, strengthens the culture of your team and its ability to overcome obstacles.

3) Behavioral- Do your decisions and actions show that your employees’ needs were taken into consideration? I would argue that this component of empathy is the most important. Without this final step, all you are giving your employees is lip service. This does not mean you always give everyone what they ask for- that is impossible. What it does mean is that you SHOW your employees that their concerns, needs, and feelings were taken into consideration with your decisions. By being transparent about decision making, you will develop a more open and psychologically safe team culture. This will help you avoid complications, quickly overcome hurdles, and move your programs forward more effectively in the long-run.

As the world of work continues to get more fast-paced and increasingly automated, it is essential for us to build real, trusting human connections with our coworkers, business partners, leaders, and employees. If we don’t, we will lose out on long-term gains, not only in employee satisfaction and productivity, but in profits.