“Empathy is the ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes. It is the ability to experience vicariously the feelings that someone else may have and then being able to communicate that understanding in such a way that the recipient feels understood.”
Empathy is about building connections. While it is important to have the appropriate skills to do the job, we’re learning that adaptive skills, such as empathy, are just as important. Do you sometimes ask yourself: “Why do I go to that car dealership, or deli around the corner? Is it that their product truly is the best, or is it because I have a connection with the individual that works there?” Emotions and feelings, whether we realize it or not, drive many of our decisions, in and out of the workplace.
But empathy is not just transactional in nature. Studies show that people are willing to earn less at a job if they feel connected with that organization. Particularly with millennials, they want to feel they are part of an organization that values the role of empathy.
Employees want to have a happy workplace and prefer it to material gains. Their wellbeing is front and center. One of the ways for an organization to deliver a positive work environment is by implementing specific tools and educational programs to their employees around empathy. The results are tangible—higher employee retention, better customer feedback, and overall satisfaction.
Here are some of the fundamental aspects of an empathetic culture:
- Care for and be interested in colleagues as friends.
- Provide support for one another, including offering kindness and compassion when others are struggling.
- Avoid blame and forgive mistakes.
- Inspire one another at work.
- Emphasize the meaningfulness of the work.
- Treat one another with respect, gratitude, trust, and integrity.
This video is tremendously moving. It’s a perfect example of how many different thoughts and experiences are happening all around us at any given moment in time. The next time someone doesn’t hold the door open for you, or walks by you without giving you a smile, don’t be so quick to judge. We have no idea what is going on for that person and likewise they have no idea what is going on with us.
View our latest webinar: Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare.