Why Empathy Should Be Part of Every Employee’s Skill Set
The business world today pays special attention to everything related to human relationships and values the individual above all else. It is indeed a huge evolution and we see more and more companies concerned with providing their teams with personal skills. However, we are witnessing an imbalance in terms of the demand for certain skills within the same group.
While leaders are increasingly required to have behavioral and relational skills (so-called soft skills ), we do not see the same demand from their employees. Of course, they are not supposed to have the same set of skills, but there are undoubtedly some that should be proportionate in order to promote respect for the individual and the well-being of the teams.
One of these skills is empathy. Empathy is a term widely used in psychology that is defined as the ability to perceive the experience, emotions and thoughts of another person, by imagining ourselves in the situation that that person is in or has experienced. Traveling to the pain of others.
This skill is widely worked on in the work context, but I invite you to do a quick exercise: a quick Google search on “empathy in teams”, “empathy at work”. The results are similar to each other:
“5 ways to improve your empathetic leadership skills
” “The importance of empathy in leadership”
“Empathy is the most important skill for a leader”
And so on. There is no shortage of hundreds of articles that talk about the importance of empathy at the leadership level.
Empathy should be a skill required of everyone, regardless of their position or hierarchy, and it is essential to develop this skill in the relationship between employees and their leaders. Yes, because empathy is a two-way street and in the employee-leader relationship such an important skill should not be required from a single party, with the risk of deteriorating a crucial relationship in companies and, above all, forgetting the human and personal approach that pays attention to the psychological capacity of each person to do their job in the best way possible, respecting the other . Leadership and management positions are also performed by people and the parallel between taking care of a team and the need to be more empathetic is not so linear and proportional.
Proof of this are all the gains that come from this change in relationships. Here are five points to explain why empathy is a fundamental skill for all employees, especially in the employee-leader relationship:
Empathy reduces the levels of frustration that often arise in these work relationships. A lack of empathy generates negative emotions, combined with a feeling of disconnection that can also exist on the part of managers.
Empathy generates greater understanding of the challenges faced by leaders and organizations, and consequently, a reduced feeling of personal injustice. The most complex situations are thus seen in a more global way and force us to look beyond our own navel.
Developing empathy for leaders is developing an essential skill for future leaders from an early age.
Being empathetic with our leader opens a door of trust that is fundamental for a fruitful relationship. It is also essential that leaders can count on and trust their teams and that there is also a psychologically safe space for everyone.
Empathy for everyone means looking out for each individual. It is common for some people in leadership positions to feel ingratitude and incomprehension. It is our duty to look at each person on our teams and demand the same degree of treatment and emotional respect.
When it comes to social skills, what is required in terms of the social context must be applied in the work context and in particular in the employee-leader relationship. Since empathy is so important for creating positive and long-lasting relationships, it should be on the list of mandatory requirements for all roles and be properly explored in the first interactions with everyone in the company.
Empathy can be taught and learned, received and applied. It's not an innate gift that only a few people have, it's something you work on and perfect.
There are several ways companies can work on employee empathy internally for their managers. Some practical examples:
Include this skill in the essential requirements for a role. Post in job ads how to highlight other skills.
Exploring competence in job interviews. Situational questions, where a hypothetical situation is asked to understand how the candidate would react, are an excellent way to assess the level of empathy of interviewees. Think carefully about the situation, without being afraid to simulate a real past situation to find out if the candidate would fit into the company culture.
Include empathy in performance evaluation processes, whether in management evaluation, self-evaluation or other assessments within a 360⁰ approach.
Bet on training. A good example is training that involves empathic listening.
Give everyone a book on the subject or promote empathy month, where you can talk about feelings, share experiences, articles, conversations at certain times organized by the company.
Especially for those who hold team management positions: talk about emotions and vulnerabilities without fear. Practice open communication. Give concrete examples of how you felt in a certain situation. Share. The reward will be greater than expected.
This is the time to continue the humanist movement in organizational contexts, but without exceptions. Responsibility for the individual around us and for the group does not lie solely with the leaders. We all have an important role to play and this must be one of the values to be cultivated in the teams and organizations of the future.
