Leaders with empathy are a new trend in the workplace after Intelligence Quotient (IQ) has been the main marker of competent employees and competent business leaders for years.
However, in today’s workplace in a climate characterized by uncertainty, rising economic pressures, changing social ideals and political turmoil, emotional intelligence (EQ) becomes even more important.
Empathy is one of the hallmarks of EQ and empathy in the workplace is one of the key pillars of effective people management and leadership, says Kgomotso Ramoenyane, general manager of human resources at Business Partners Limited.
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“Empathy has long been overlooked as a soft skill that cannot be measured in business metrics such as productivity and profitability but in the workplace, it should be considered a key performance indicator.”
Many experts agree that empathy is ‘good for people’ and ‘good for profit’.
Tara Van Bommel, a statistician and doctor of social psychology, describes empathy as an “effective business strategy” and an important component of crisis management, transformation and building an inclusive workforce where people can thrive.
The most immediate benefit of empathizing with colleagues and friends is longer and more meaningful relationships, which are beneficial in personal and work settings, says Ramoenyane.
“Empathy allows people to overcome social, cultural and language barriers and when employees feel understood and acknowledged, they perform better, feel more motivated and have a more positive attitude towards their work.”
Ramoenyane points out that this can have many benefits, such as better employee retention, higher levels of productivity, better creativity and innovation and better levels of customer service.
He has a strong interest in helping small businesses to build businesses with strong values such as empathy, as employees are often asked to perform under great pressure.
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“Unlike larger corporate teams, small business workforces rely heavily on effective collaboration and mutual support.”
It is important to nurture a sense of belonging and create an environment where each individual can understand the importance and value, because it is critical for the longevity of the business.
Encouraging leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to “practice people management”, Ramoenyane recommends these steps to build an empathetic work environment:
Communication in the workplace
Principles such as kindness and compassion should be at the center of all workplace communication, whether face-to-face or virtual.
If unable to follow this standard, employees must have appropriate channels to express their emotions without fear of being judged, discriminated against or ignored.
Ramoenyane encourages leaders to create a “communication charter” that can be distributed and explained to all team members.
You need to set the standard for good communication between your colleagues, management team and senior leadership.
Mental health training for remote teams
If all or part of the workforce operates remotely, empathy can reduce the stress often associated with working remotely.
The pandemic has shown the detrimental effects that long working hours, isolation, higher demands, financial difficulties and greater workloads can have on employees’ mental health.
“We need to take the lessons from the pandemic and apply them to the ‘new world of work’ where the well-being of employees is not only important for leaders and owners of SMEs, but also for colleagues.”
Ramoenyane says staff members need to know how to recognize and help prevent signs of burnout from developing through training, reading resources and open forums.
Ask important questions
Ramoenyane recommends setting aside time and space to receive feedback by asking open-ended questions. This catch-up session should take place outside of the formal review process and may include a list of questions such as:
- How does the change in management affect you now?
- What do you want your manager to know and understand about you?
- Is there a personal struggle you want to share?
- What is the biggest obstacle you are currently facing at work?
“Use regular check-ins with team members to build trust and prioritize training to build this relationship, especially because in a difficult and competitive environment, human capital is an invaluable resource that must be shown the support it needs to develop,” she said.