There is a shortage of empathy in the workplace today. Years and decades of research from the American corporate world have proven that Americans have become less empathetic and concerned about others over time.
We don’t understand others and are less willing to understand contrasting perspectives. While this was quite the norm between employees, managers today also feel that empathy is simply not worth the effort.
The lack of empathy acts as a personal and professional hindrance. As workplace relationships and empathy levels start to suffer, so does the organization’s success.
However, there is some good news. Evidence from the workplace suggests that leaders are working towards building empathy within the workplace. Empathy is a skill that can be built. Like muscles through workouts and confidence through public speaking, you can also build empathy by being more understanding towards what others have to say.
In this article, we look at some of the benefits of empathy in the workplace. Here is how empathy helps improve your workplace and leads to a plethora of benefits.
Empathy Helps Boost Productivity
Human connection is a powerful motivator in the workplace today. Your employees tend to work harder when they see that their perspectives are understood and that their needs are being addressed. Researchers working on these ideas have found out that empathy helps humans feel more confident and more productive.
For instance, people involved in areas with direct human interaction, such as lifeguards, have noted significant behavior in productivity once they are dealt with in an empathetic manner.
Empathy Helps Promote Collaboration
Empathy plays a significant role in promoting collaboration between employees in the workplace. Employees are more willing to participate in group meetings and other related collaborations when their voices are heard and their perspectives are understood. Since water trickles down, managers should set the right standards from the top and hope their employees follow suit.
Empathy Builds Leadership
Empathy leads to the emergence of higher leadership standards in the organization. People that are good at reading emotions and situations tend to become effective leaders. A recent study conducted by MRG found out that empathy was a great motivator in ethical leadership.
Empathetic leaders play a significant role in motivating teams towards performing at their very best level. Empathetic leaders also form connections with employees since they acknowledge their contributions and needs. The shared vision cultivated in team members through empathy in leadership often results in improved customer service and team performance.
We at JS Benefits Group have worked with a number of organizations to focus on the positives of empathy in leadership and culture. You can get in touch with JS Benefits Group to discuss and devise a strategy.
