July 8th 2022
The sign of a good manager doesn’t just come from numbers and business success. It also comes from how that manager uplifts their team in times of need, as well as pushing the business forward. This is all summed up in one word – empathy.
Empathy is a vital leadership skill to have in today’s business world, and it’s up to companies to ensure they are hiring and training their managers to listen and understand the needs and wants of the people they are leading.
We’re going to explore how having empathy in a leadership role can cultivate a positive and productive workplace.
What is Empathy in the Workplace?
At its core, empathy is defined as ‘having the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts and emotions of other people’. Managers with high levels of empathy are able to read a situation from the employee’s standpoint and react compassionately whilst providing a solution. Empathy in the workplace helps to strengthen bonds and enhance relationships – which can lead to better overall performance.
When we say ‘empathy’, we are not talking about ‘sympathy’ which is an entirely different approach. Empathy allows you to imagine yourself in that situation, whilst sympathy means you pity their position without much afterthought.
Empathy is often overlooked as a desirable skill when recruiting for management roles, as more focus tends to be put on technical ability and past experience. This can lead to situations in which employees are unhappy but feel as if they have no one to discuss it with or turn to. Employees may then decide to leave a company if they feel that their plights fall on deaf ears.
Empathy in the workplace can go many ways, however. Employees must be able to understand and relate to one another just as much as managers need to compassionately lead their team.
The Importance of Understanding Others
As a leader, understanding the needs of your employees will not only benefit them in the long run, but it will also benefit the business. Happy workers are more likely to be hard workers.
You might be asking yourself “but why do I need to understand my employees, I just need them to get the work done” – and we’d suggest you try to get away from this way of thinking. The long-term benefits of empathy in the workplace far outweigh the short-term gains that a business can have. With employees that feel seen and heard by you, you pretty much ensure that they will want to stay with the business and see it grow with you.
Providing support when people require it is not just something that can be done at work, it can be taken into many facets of a person’s life, strengthening bonds and relationships at home too, making you a more approachable and caring person on the whole.
Understanding others means to really listen to them – ‘what do they need from me?’, ‘How can we tackle this together?’, and then following-up to ensure the situation is resolved. Utilising empathy in the workplace is to the detriment of nobody and can only serve to elevate a team to emotional stability whilst at work – even during the hard times.
How to Show Empathy When Leading People
So, we’ve explored what empathy is and how important it is to understand where your employees are coming from. Let’s now discuss what you can do as a leader to put that into action, and really show people that you have their backs.
1. Keep an Eye on Work Burnout
Some employees may be feeling a little tired and stressed at times, especially when there are big projects that need to be done. Keep an eye on each employee, have quick check-in chats each day to see how they are doing, get them to outline their current tasks, and ask how you can support them. With this approach, no one should be feeling burnt out.
2. Think About the Needs, Goals and Interests of Your Employees
Every worker is different, and each has their own needs and wants. Take an active interest in the aspirations and interests of your employees. You can discuss their hobbies, what they love to do outside of work, or even what their goals are within the company. This all helps them to feel like a valued member of the team.
3. Have Open Lines of Communication with Employees
As a leader, it’s important for you to always ‘have your door open’. Encourage your employees to come a have a chat with you (be it virtually or in person) if they are stuck or simply need to get something off their chest. Always approach this with an open mind and make it clear to them that you are there to support them.
4. Show Interest and Compassion in Employees’ Personal Issues
If someone at work is going through a personal issue, for example a death in the family, a divorce, or struggling with their mental health, it’s imperative that you address this with them personally and ensure they are being fully supported by you and the other members of the team. It doesn’t have to turn into a therapy session but make them feel like they can talk to you about issues at home that could affect their work.
5. Schedule Regular One-On-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings are a fantastic way to really get to know each member of your team. In these you’ll be able to explore all of the points above with them in a safe and non-judgemental setting.
Benefits of Creating a Positive Workplace
Cultivating a positive work environment can have great knock-on effects to the business as a whole. As employees understand more and more that their welfare and mental health is always being considered and supported from higher offices, they’ll feel unimpeded when it comes to completing their tasks each day. Positive energy is contagious, and if everyone is on the same page, the workplace will be a fun and engaging place to thrive and innovate.
It’s important to always keep the positive vibes flowing, however, as negative energy can just as much take hold over time if you neglect some of the points outlined in the previous section. At the end of the day, we want you and your employees to succeed in an upbeat and exciting workplace, and creating a positive office culture is a huge contributing factor to this.
Poorer working conditions are often the cause of job fatigue and long-term health problems such as anxiety, stress and even depression over time, and it’s part of your job to minimise the impact on your employees mental health by cultivating that positive atmosphere at work. Ensure that the workplace they walk into each day fuels them with the energy they need to get on with the tasks at hand.
Your employee’s happiness is a direct correlation to your business’ success, and if you inspire them to take pride in their work, and reward their dedication and loyalty, the company will no doubt be successful both inside and out.
We hope we’ve been able to convince you about the importance of empathy in a leadership role today and provided you with enough advice to take back into to work with you. Your employees rely on you in a multitude of ways, and you should always be readily available to answer the call in times of need.
If you’re looking to expand your office space to take on more employees, why not head over and take a look at our wide range of serviced offices and managed offices that we have available. Use our free office search tool to find the perfect office for you in your area!
