Empathy is something that is known to come naturally to women entrepreneurs. It is something that they can potentially harness to improve engagement among employees within their workplace. For those unaware of it, empathy is not the same as sympathy. Empathy is about putting yourself in your employees’ shoes and looking at things from their perspectives and viewpoint.
Today, more and more organizations recognize the importance of empathy. Today, all stakeholders in the corporate world take up efforts to promote workplace engagement through empathetic measures that understand how other employees feel. Teams with women at the helm tend to establish empathy more thoroughly and comprehensively.
Empathy is known to increase overall employee engagement and add value to the culture in the work environment. This article looks at ways the heart can enhance engagement within the workplace. Learn to adopt these techniques to improve your empathetic leadership style and put them to use in your workplace.
Empathy Builds Trust
First and foremost, empathy helps build a layer of trust in the workplace. Trust is critical to the workplace culture and enables play a significant role in bringing the corporate vision and goals to fruition. Some strategies encourage building trust through empathy and strategic linkage.
Individuals yearn to be respected and to be understood – once you start doing that, they will trust you more.
Interestingly, trust is a feeling that works both ways. Of course, it is necessary that you first start trusting employees if you want them to trust you back and hold faith in the organization. The results achieved through empathy and trust are fruitful and generally optimistic in nature.
The emergence of trust in an organization leads to 3 additional values within employees; hence they can all be credited to empathy as well:
Honesty: No one appreciates dishonesty and conniving games in business. From honest dealings with coworkers to honesty in feedback and performance, you expect your employees to remain transparent at all times. People deal with honesty when they believe in the empathetic nature of their management and aren’t threatened by the truth.
Integrity: Integrity is the ability to do the right thing, regardless of whether anyone knows it or not. It is intrinsic motivation that can be fostered through empathy.
Acceptance to Change: Change is an inevitable part of the corporate world, and organizations should be open to the notion of change. Change is critical and happens when employees trust the vision and mission of their managers.
Empathy Promotes Ownership
When management is empathic, it helps foster and promotes ownership from the workplace employees. Ownership can be analyzed in two ways: both figuratively and literally. In the real corporate world, employees do not have to necessarily buy shares of the organization to feel a sense of ownership toward the firm and their work in general.
An organization that prioritizes empathy and compassion builds a sense of ownership in every employee. Women leaders can go down to the grassroots, use motivators at that level, and empathize with employees. Everyone involved should feel like their work is genuinely theirs and have a sense of ownership.
Employees feel responsible for carrying business initiatives and measures in an organization with heightened ownership protocols. The work environment does not feel like a job anymore, as it will start to feel like a responsibility. The work environment feels like a second home to employees, which stems from empathy.
Empathy Focuses on Retention
Empathy in the workplace from the top management helps improve employee retention and reduces the cost of recruitment. Recruiting and training new employees can cost thousands of dollars. Individuals need to be told that their voices are heard, and their rationale is understood. With a focus on employee needs and requirements, women leaders can reduce turnover.
Empathy from the management also has the potential to foster a family-like atmosphere. As we have mentioned above, this creates the feeling of a second home. The environment prospers with engagement, and employees think twice before leaving.
Empathy Produces Results
Empathy from the top management effectively generates the productivity standards you require from your employees. A business that values its employees will see more values and dedication from team members and other stakeholders. Without the ability to see the world from someone else’s perspective, your teams in the workplace will break down and fail to get the results you desire.
No business wants to cut down on client satisfaction. This leads us to the equation – the greater the coordination between employees, the better the results. Eventually, better results lead to better productivity and profitability in the workplace.
Empathy Inspires Innovation
Lastly, empathy can be a great source of innovation in the workplace. Creativity and innovation can come from any individual in the workplace. It is more achievable if managers empathize with teams and understand their requirements.
Individuals are more likely to take risks and go down innovative paths if they know their managers and leaders understand them. Similarly, employees will be less likely to work with the same confidence if their managers don’t trust them. They are also more confident in suggesting ideas and improving current systems when they are aware of the empathizing nature of managers.
Empathy encourages discourse and engagement within the organization through the five ways we have discussed in detail within this article. Women leaders are more capable of showing empathy in their dealings due to their enhanced understanding and relaxed nature. Use this as a step to grow trust in your teams and achieve better results.
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