Why is empathy important in management

Maybe this boss was busy — but in my grieving self — I took his actions as a sign that he lacked empathy , and that bothered me. Empathy facilitates prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced, so that people behave in a more compassionate manner.

There are three types of empathy :. It also encourages you to regulate your own emotions. And it promotes helping behaviors. Empathy is always important in life, but here are the reasons empathy is so meaningful for leadership, as well.

This Latin phrase, Homo Empathicus, is the concept that we as humans survive and thrive on collaboration and belonging, not on self-interest or isolation.

Simon Sinek also found that we find comfort in being a part of a group. The loner on the edge of the group is far more susceptible to predators than someone who is safely surrounded and valued by others. Because of this, this explains why empathy is so vital. Empathy creates bonds. It also shows that you care, value, and understand others.

Instead of questioning their work ethic or talent, getting to the root of the problem lets them know that you have a personal interest and concern for them. But an individual that you have affection for. Studies show that as leadership demonstrates empathy, employees are willing to put in more effort. Creating loyal teams includes your virtual teams too. When your staff is happy , everyone reaps the benefits. Not only are they more productive, but that positive energy can also be spread to others like your other employees and customers.

Besides breeding a more toxic work environment, that customer may vow not to support your business again. Those innovative solutions could improve not only their performance but the output from everyone within the entire organization. Additionally, empathy leads to a more collaborative workplace. Don't coldly layoff 95 percent of your employees via a video like Cirque du Soleil did at the start of the crisis, a decision that garnered negative attention. Take time to recognize and express your emotions as well as help your team work through their fears.

Add a daily reminder in your calendar or phone to stay grounded. That little "ping" will remind you to reflect every day on what you're feeling and what's going on. In time, you will be able to tune in emotionally without a physical reminder. The only way your team will be vulnerable with you during this difficult period is if you learn to listen without judgment. Leading with empathy often involves saying nothing at all and sometimes agreeing that you are sad, confused or angry, too.

According to work published in The Journal of Behavioral Science , 70 percent of successful people say they feel like imposters from time to time. Imagine how refreshing it would be for your team members to hear that you also struggle and will not use their feelings against them. One caveat: Don't allow yourself or your team to wallow too long in sessions focused on negative emotions.

Instead, enable honest discussions and then pivot the conversation toward positive solutions. However, be aware of the language you use when you want to refocus your team. Consider your words carefully after team members open up; you want them to feel heard, not ignored, when you gently move the conversation in an optimistic direction.

Now is not the moment to assume you know everything bothering your team. Seem a little touchy-feely? But your team members will hear your words as an indicator of your interest. You may discover that getting to know team members on a deeper level helps you notice when they're not on their A-games.

If you see someone struggling, intervene before their work completely falls apart. Part of the importance of empathy in leadership is being able to provide emotional guidance and encouragement that will help everyone develop personally and professionally. Uncertain times call for unparalleled leaders.

Show your humanity with a heavy dose of empathetic leadership. Empathy will not only motivate your team through crisis, but it will help you deal with your own conflicted feelings, too.

First, it gives you insight into the different ways that the members of your team communicate emotion. After all, no two people express emotion in exactly the same way, so taking the time to understand how each person you work with communicates this information is critical.

But beyond this, forming a personal bond with your team members or employees will help them to understand that you care about them as individuals and not just about what they can do for the bottom line. Forming these bonds aligns you as an ally with your team members, facilitating a culture of more open communication that can help lead to truly innovative discussions and solutions to problems.

How can you forge these important, personal bonds with your team? Simply being a better listener see above is a great place to start. Talk to your team. Ask them questions about their lives, and remember the details—the names of spouses, children, pets; their hobbies; and their personal history. Putting in this small bit of effort will lay the foundation upon which truly powerful bonds can be built. Sometimes it can be really difficult to get a clear read on the emotional state of your team.

Maybe you have transitioned to a new team and have not yet had the opportunity to form the necessary personal bonds. Maybe you have moved to a new organization where team members have learned to hide or filter their true emotions from their supervisors. Whatever the case, in situations like these, there are still steps that you can take to gain some valuable emotional insight into the mindset of your team.

One way that you can gain this insight is to put yourself in the shoes of your team members. Ask yourself: How would you feel in a similar situation? What would you do? What would you want or expect from your manager? What would you not want? Use these insights to inform your management techniques, build rapport, and foster the level of communication that you need in order to be effective at your job. Incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence into your management style is a skill that can be learned just like any other.