Empathy is having the capacity to understand or feel what it would be like to walk in another person's shoes. In Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith's book Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten, they say this about empathy, "The best way to practice empathy is by consistently following the 'golden rule,' by speaking as though you were the one being spoken to and acting as though what you are about to do were done to you and not to some faceless, crazy, mistaken opponent." (Cloke & Goldsmith, 2011, p. 85) Being empathetic in the workplace--especially as a leader-- is important because the leader must build relationships with team members to build credibility. Empathy in relationships first and foremost shows the leader cares about the team members as a human and individual, but it also is the foundation of trust. A leader must be empathetic when an individual comes to them with an issue, as opposed to the an alternative like aggression, the team member will begin to feel comfortable to open up more about what really happened in the situation.
Empathy in Leadership
Through my professional endeavors thus far, I have had leaders who use empathy everyday in their leadership style, and others who don't use empathy often. Those who have shown little to no empathy to their employees had work environments that were toxic, and they had higher turnover rates than those who did incorporate It was difficult for team members to go to the boss with issues and problems, which cause individuals to try to self-correct things. This did not always work, and there were times the team had to redo entire orders because it was difficult to ask the boss for help. On the other hand, the bosses that have been genuine and authentic to their team members had a higher mood and morale throughout the organization. Individuals did not dread coming to work, had strong relationship, trusting relationships with the leadership team as well as others in and out of their departments, and continued to produce high Key Point Indicators (KPI) percentages. I have always been an empathetic person, and this characteristic has helped me make more than one big decision for the teams I have led and been apart of. I care a lot about people, and my goal as a leader is to strive to help other's achieve their goals within the workplace.
Artifact
Empathy goes hand in hand with Emotional Intelligence (EI). Kendra Cherry, in her article titled What is emotional intelligence?, defined emotional intelligence as "...the ability to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions to communicate with and relate to others effectively and constructively." (Cherry, 2022) The artifact I am presenting to showcase my understanding of empathy is from the OGL 220 - Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations course. In the assignment below, I discuss the concepts of emotional intelligence instruments as well as a reflection of a video I watch on a radical experiment in empathy.
Reflection
Project Management & Organizational Leadership
In a professional setting, empathy can be a powerful tool. I one time had a leader who was the most empathetic person I have ever met. She was also the leader I have trusted most in my professional career, I was able to come to her with anything--good or bad-- and she had a way to make a person feel as though that conversation was the best part of her day. If it was a conflicting situation, she would show that she understood, cared, and eagerly wanted to help find a solution. She would show her empathy through actively listening. She would reframe the situation using her own words, ask questions, and put herself in my shoes to get my perspective of the situation. I have learned from her how to use empathy professionally. When there is empathy in leadership, transformative things happen over time.
Personal Growth & Development
Personally, I have grown my skills of empathy in all of my relationships. I have begun to ask more questions in conversations with my friends and family to help get a better understanding of how they were feeling about the situation. I have found that this has opened doors to strengthening and deepening relationships. You start to dive deeper into the conversation, and the next thing you know, five hours have gone by. Another benefit I have gained from strengthening and enhancing my empathy in my personal life is that most people love to talk about themselves as well as their experiences, and when I ask questions, I, personally, learn something, and it is exciting for both parties.
References: Cherry, K. (2022, November 7). How emotionally intelligent are you? Verywell Mind. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-2795423 Cloke, K., & Goldsmith, J. (2011). Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten Strategies for Everyone on the Job (3rd ed.). Jossey Bass.