The workplace and business in general is often associated with hard work and determination but ironically, the advent of technology also paved the way for the emphasis of “softer” human attributes in the workplace. Compassion and empathy are two of these and have become the topic of business research of late. We shall be taking them as one blog entry for this week since compassion and empathy are interrelated in the sense that empathy is said to be a means towards achieving compassionate businesses while compassion is sometimes described as empathy in action.
The definitions of empathy and compassion even refer to each other, further solidifying their relationship. Empathy is more than recognizing emotions in others as it entails thinking beyond one’s self, one’s concerns and motives. It is putting yourself in that other person’s shoes, allowing you to discover, understand and appreciate that person’s perspective because you see her reality with your own eyes. This enables us to connect with other people, leading to feelings of compassion towards them. Compassion on the other hand is a deep understanding of the emotional state of another person, which can lead us to feel empathy for another person. In its purest form, compassion means making the suffering of someone else as our own.
The question has always been how these two traits come into play in the world of business wherein it has been said time and again that the heart has no place in. Clearly, compassion and empathy can be associated with having a heart because it deals with emotions more than anything else.
Research shows that a business wherein a compassionate culture is present have high performing, less stressed, satisfied, loyal and committed employees. The fact that colleagues and management itself go out of their way to help employees who need it by providing emotional support, material goods and granting flexibility and time to help alleviate suffering, trauma, etc., allows companies to further strengthen their relationships with their employees. Because employees feel valued in the workplace, a mutual feeling of connection, trust, protection and care is generated. Employees are more able to move forward and recover from personal challenges. This in turn improves customer service and the bottom line. As mentioned in previous blog entries, relationships inside and outside the company can make or break your business. A compassionate and empathic business can also build lasting partnerships with other companies with the same advocacy, culture and values.
Showing Empathy and Compassion in the Workplace
1) Listen without interrupting and develop an attitude of openness. Listening to colleagues and letting them finish without interruption does not only show respect and that you value what they have to say but also allows you to absorb the message and respond appropriately. Communicating to employees that there is an open door policy from management will also encourage employees to share their thoughts, decreasing the time spent skirting around issues. Such a policy will encourage them to be honest with work concerns.
2) Show empathy through body language. Maintain eye contact to show sincerity, keep a good body posture to convey openness and not disinterest in what others have to say.
3) Validate other’s emotions by agreeing with them when applicable as this shows acceptance and understanding.
4) Offer personal support. Let them know that you are there to help and that you can work on a task or a project together or that you can guide them or they can ask you should they have questions.
5) If you’re a leader, lead by example and adapt to the needs of the employees if they are for the greater good.
We at The Help, and the owner Astrid Stanek in particular, believe in the importance of cultivating empathy and compassion in virtual assistance. All tasks must be approached with these two traits in mind as both enhance all other virtual assistance skills. Virtual Assistants as partners of clients should learn to put themselves in the shoes of their clients to understand their needs, desires and expectations bearing in mind that there are business goals to meet. The VA aside from doing her job well, exerts effort to inform her/himself about the client’s business. Because of the dynamic nature of virtual assistance, the VA must be prepared to adapt to the goals of the business and her subsequent role in it, thus creating an organized workflow and better use of technology.
Empathy and compassion are at the heart of productive, meaningful relationships that are keys to the growth of any business. But these words only come alive when we, employees and management, open our hearts and minds to the challenges and joys of our colleagues and clients. We can better communicate with one another, with our clients; we create value. A united workforce and a positive VA-client relationship require constant work to achieve the goal of unity and continued success of The Help.
Written by Kathrine E./ Edited by Yoli P.- The Help