We know that empathy is undervalued in the workplace context, but we need to understand its importance and value to contribute to the growth of the organization, says Prof. VGT.
There is a saying in the Indian scriptures that reads, “I’m one, but want to be many”.
This, I believe, is quite accurately reflective of human nature, because man cannot live alone; he needs society for a comfortable and joyful survival.
Man desires to command respect, and at quite the same time, to get his emotions, skills, knowledge and understanding recognized. In order to get recognized, however, one needs to recognise others; in other words, be empathetic.
Empathy literally means the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in their situation. It is an ability to put oneself in another’s place and see things from that person’s point of view.
But one can be empathetic only when one puts his feet in the other’s shoes. Empathy requires an understanding of human behaviour. Human behaviour analyzes the relationships of people, directly or indirectly. Behaviour is controlled by the mind, and the human mind is very tender and it can be understood only by being empathetic.
Empathy plays an important role in life, but it matters more, if anything, at the workplace.
A person spends eight to 10 hours in an organization where they work; and therefore, has to face diversities. Empathy is important in managing diversity, because members of a diverse group often feel that only they can truly understand the challenges or problems they are facing.
Just What Is Empathy?
Empathy is not sympathy, but it may or may not be preceded by sympathy. Empathy lies in understanding the other’s perspective, ethical values, and emotions.
Emotions are the core of a person’s feelings. An emotionally enriched person experiences another’s feelings effectively.
No doubt, this is largely psychological, and yet, its expression is entirely physical. It is through gestures and postures that we express empathy.
How is empathy relevant at the workplace?
Sometimes, in an organization, some decisions and actions are deemed unfair or unjust, and in turn, the affected employees experience feelings of anger, outrage, and resentment. Moreover, unjust treatment can bring out a desire for retribution and a harmed person experiences a need to punish those blamed for the problem.
Empathy must be practised to manage adverse situations and to avoid conflicts.
There are some team leaders and managers who comfort employees in a tense situation, get to the source of the problem and not become emotionally involved. The reason is that they have mastered the skill of empathy.
When you are empathetic you understand how your employee feels, and yet you don’t feel the same. You are not emotionally involved and you are objective in your evaluation of the situation. Empathy is difficult because it requires emotional control, understanding and acceptance of how someone else feels and an objective evaluation of the situation. Team leaders and managers play a powerful role in creating an empathetic workplace by what they model and by what they expect and accept from their employees.
We often associate empathy with a sensing of other’s feelings, but it is much more than appreciating the inner state of others feelings. Empathy helps you know when to act, and when not to act. It can help you detect overload before the damage is done. Most of all, it helps you accept and validate someone else’s feelings.
Here are a few tips for encouraging an empathetic environment at the workplace:
- Share your goals, thoughts, feelings and expectations and invite employees to share theirs. Listen to what they tell you.
- Respect your staff’s feelings so they can learn to respect the feelings of others.
- Discuss examples of unfair treatment of people with your employees and encourage them to think about how the other person feels.
- Explain why you care about certain issues, values, behavior and ask for their opinions.
- Name the emotions you or your employees are experiencing and encourage others to name theirs.
- Teach emotional literacy so they learn to express their emotions.
- Encourage tolerance and understanding of differences.
- Acknowledge acts of kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness.
- Celebrate achievements, especially ones your employees consider important. This creates a sense of team-spirit and sharing in another’s success.
- Communicate effectively; it helps to have a feel for how your messages will land, whether it is an apology, persuasion, congratulations, or something distressing.
