Empathy at work

- Empathy at work really comes into play when things are going wrong, like when projects get defunded or unexpected layoffs come out of nowhere. And companies that value empathy excel at three main traits: they're trustworthy, they're patient, and they are understanding. The first core component of an empathetic company is trust. When a company is empathetic their employees are trusting them to be open and honest about what's happening in and around the office. Rumors can be the death of productivity and empathetic companies know that. So, they kill those rumors before they begin by speaking openly about potential layoffs, cutbacks, or changes on the horizon. And when leaders speak openly with their teams, employees feel more comfortable sharing what's going on in their personal lives and how it may be affecting their work. It's possible that someone's partner just got transferred or that somebody's parent is battling cancer. An empathetic company's employees feel safe enough to talk about what weighs heavily on them. That feeling of safety encourages productivity. The second core component of empathy at work is patience and I have a really great example. The chief technical officer at a Fortune 500 company with over 40,000 employees was talking to his team of over 200 people when one of them raised their hands and asked this question, "I don't mean to be offensive. "I truly do just want to understand, what do you do?" The CTO paused and said, "It's completely unacceptable that you guys all come into this office every single day and you don't know what my role is. So, thank you for asking that question and let me explain to you exactly what I do here." You see patience isn't just waiting for someone to finish their thought or understanding that it's going to take one person a little bit longer to finish a certain task than it will another person. Patience is being slow to anger and judgment and instead quick to compassion. Without patience there is no empathy. The final core component of empathy at work is understanding. Teams are filled with people of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, religious and political affiliations, and sexual orientations, empathetic teams know that diverse backgrounds bring diverse ideas. So instead of allowing those differences of opinion to tear them apart, they approach opposing points from a place of understanding. They're viewing the different point from the other person's perspective. As a result, creativity flourishes. The main takeaway about empathy at work is that it's an opportunity to learn from those around you. So today, take some time to discuss the core values that you see on your team. Is empathy in the mix? If not, what changes can you make in your behavior right now to encourage your team members to be more empathetic?