American industrialist and business magnate Henry Ford once said, “Why is it that I always get the whole person when what I really want is a pair of hands?” There’s no denying that Mr. Ford’s contributions to the way we think in business and society should be lauded, but it’s safe to say this one comment didn’t age well. In today’s world, employees are viewed as so much more than a tool on an assembly line. They are people. Those “hands” come with a brain, emotions, fresh ideas, and different perspectives. As a result, the leaders who lead them must embrace a culture of encouragement, support, and communicating empathy in the workplace.
Empathy is a tricky concept to wrap our brains around since people tend to define it differently. A basic definition is that it’s one’s ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It’s about emotion and emotional connections. For me, it’s built on the awareness and appreciation of difference. And that mindset is important because the workforce has changed dramatically over the past few decades.
You are working with and communicating with people who are very different from you. Therefore, you must do your dead-level best to understand and appreciate their perspectives — in other words, where they are coming from.
As leaders, this doesn’t mean you relax standards that have existed for years.
It also doesn’t mean you have to agree with whatever they say.
Communicating empathy simply means that, as a starting point, you’re aware of and appreciate difference.
The Impact of Communicating Empathy Is Plentiful.
When you are communicating empathy in the workplace, people feel like …
- Their voice is being heard.
- They are appreciated as individuals.
- They can share opinions.
- They are more engaged.
- They feel a sense of personal growth.
- They connect better with their leaders.
In turn, there is less negative “chatter” and conflict in the workplace. Your company can innovate and build wealth.
That Said, We Can’t Only Communicate Empathy In Our Heads.
Something I always caution leaders against is falling into the trap of what I call cognitive empathy. They appreciate and understand where their employees are coming from. But rather than verbalize those empathetic thoughts, they keep them close to the vest. Ultimately, cognitive empathy leads to making faulty assumptions, being too empathetic, or misdirecting your empathy.
Thus, your good intentions fall flat.
You must be willing to communicate openly with people and better understand where they are coming from. I see this being critically important during times of transformational change within an organization since people respond to change at different emotional and intellectual rates. Leaders must know this and avoid the one-size-fits-all approach to communicating empathy. It’s important to meet people where they are at and understand individual perspectives.
At the end of the day, communicating empathy is more than just a “feel-good” leadership style. People are smart, and words are cheap. Your people will see right through you and label you as an insincere communicator if you only say the right things.
Speak and act from the heart.
There are bottom-line implications to communicating empathy in the workplace.
And how good you are at it may just define who you are as a leader for all those “hands” in the room.
The Business World Demands More Effective Communication
Whether you are an organizational leader or an employee working your way up the corporate ladder, business success depends on how effectively we craft and deliver the right message in the right manner and align it with the right audience. TalkMeUp is an innovative, one-of-a-kind software that profoundly addresses these needs and related shortcomings by leveraging AI for instant measurement, analysis, reporting, tracking, scaling, and more.
And if you’d like to hear me talk more about communicating empathy at work, please register for my upcoming webinar on October 23.
About the Author
Ron Placone, Ph.D., is Professor of Business Management Communication at Carnegie Mellon University and the Former Faculty Lead and Interim Executive Director for the Accelerate Leadership Center at the Tepper School of Business. Ron teaches a range of communication courses and leadership programs for Tepper students. Ron’s research interests include civility in discourse and fostering individual and team creativity. Previously at Carnegie Mellon, Ron was the Assistant Vice President for Learning & Development. Before joining Carnegie Mellon in 1999, Ron was Vice President and Director of Organizational Development and Communications for Mellon Network Services. Ron has been a consultant, leadership, and communication coach for numerous executives and corporate and not-for-profit organizations. He has consulted in health care, financial services, education, technology, and energy sectors. Ron has a Ph.D. in Rhetoric-English from Carnegie Mellon University.
