Have you ever found yourself in situations at work that blur the lines of professional interaction with your colleagues?
Some managers face the challenge of empathizing with upset colleagues but struggle to address their performance later on.
During my leadership and management courses, participants often express beliefs that can unintentionally create emotional barriers, such as:
- “It’s best to leave personal troubles at the doorstep of the workplace.”
- “We should focus on our jobs without delving into each other’s problems!”
- “I’m cautious not to become too familiar with my staff.”
I understand the fear that can present when you connect with others emotionally. You may be concerned about appearing weak or feeling worried that you have taken o the tole of a in the role of counsellor.
It’s crucial to clarify that counselling is not the primary role of a manager. Many managers, especially in caring professions, grapple with defining these boundaries.
Empathy provides clarity on how to professionally connect with care and concern while efficiently carrying out work tasks.
Empathic leaders understand that it’s essential to feel the plight of others in a professional environment. Trust develops when you listen to what your colleagues and customers want and need. This can foster belonging, teamwork and partnership.
It takes a moment to show understanding – to care – this moment can make a BIG difference to the way people feel.
My experience of working with a culture of empathy is that it engenders honest expression – it creates an environment where people enjoy feeling “good” instead of wanting to “be good” in the eyes of those who are perceived to have authority. This creates an energy shift of having the power to work effectively together.
Empathy is about having an authentic desire to relate to each other.
It can increase feelings of well-being in the workplace, improve retention and sickness absence. It is a preventative medicine – the lack of it can be instrumental in causing depression and more!
In my work within education and care settings, I’ve witnessed staff detachment from meeting the needs of a crying baby or an elderly person seeking help. In environments with high emotions, long hours, inadequate staff ratios, and unrealistic expectations, professionals in emergency and care services, surgeons, paramedics, soldiers, carers, and teachers may suffer from post-traumatic stress and burnout. Emotional empathy is concerned about the well-being of people.
To act and speak wisely stressful times, we need our empathy tanks to be full.
In this blog, my colleague Laura Henry highlights the importance of supervision in noticing the support for staff in early years settings.
Empathic leaders like to hear the truth from their team. and to give honest feedback about their concerns. They have the ability to see different perspectives, witness their own triggers and hear what others are saying. To engage in dialogue about issues and concerns as well as celebrations requires resilience.
Empathy means being authentic: it’s about curiosity, flexibility and empowerment through relationships built on trust.
In this video clip,p Daniel Goleman speaks with clarity about the three different types of empathy.
During times of stress and challenge – an empathic response can disappear – it requires certain mindsets and practices to build the strong neural pathways for heartfelt resilience.
If you would like to explore what empathy could mean for you in your organisation, let me know. I’d love to discuss this with you.
The work of Dr Marshall Rosenberg, creator of nonviolent communication provides us with a model of communication to support empathic relating in all situations.
In this blog entry, I have written broadly about what empathy looks and feels like in leadership and in management. I hope you find it interesting.
Excellent write up, Tracy! So important that we discuss these issues.
Yes, Laura the practice of empathy in the workplace as well as in our personal relationships is fundamental to our wellbeing, thanks for your comment and for your informative blog entry too:)
Thank you Tracy for this informative blog – which is very much in line with how I think about the need for empathy.
I have also read Laura Henry’s blog about the need to tune into those we work with and to recognise the signs of mental health issues – and of course your blog relates to this aspect as well, through listening, and if appropriate through talking we have the ability to support the children and families we work, colleagues, family members – and indeed our friends, and anyone else we see in our daily lives.
Thank you for your comment Penny and for sharing your thoughts about how important empathic relating is in our personal and professional lives:)