With the world under the grip of a deadly virus, we are also inside our cages, struggling to carve out our existence. During such testing times, let us try and be more empathetic to one another, especially towards the one we share our workspace with.
Here are a few things that you can do to inculcate the feeling of empathy:
Ask before you assume:
When your colleagues approach you with their problems, try to ask the right questions at the right time. Share thoughtful questions before you jump to any conclusion. This will help you to better understand the problems at hand.
Be a good listener:
Try and inculcate the power of active listening within yourself. During these times of remote working, giving more importance to listening is likely to solve more problems quickly. Avoid turning a deaf ear to your coworker’s issues and do not give generalized solutions.
Be authentic:
Own up your mistakes and errors in the workplace. Also, be approachable when your coworkers make mistakes. No one is perfect. When things go wrong, work together with your colleagues to come to a solution and make things better.
Communicate daily:
Empathy begins through simple, humane interactions. Get in touch with your colleagues and hear out their concerns. You might not be able to provide solutions for all problems, but communicating daily will help you form better relationships at the workplace.
Conduct virtual empathy sessions:
Make use of technology and encourage teams to meet one another regularly. You can also have mental health experts guiding your workforce regarding how to cultivate empathy through patience, active listening, and posing thoughtful questions.
Encourage teamwork:
Try and create successful collaborations between teams. This will people from different groups to come together and work in unison. While sharing their work, employees will also share more about themselves and form better bonds with each other. Increased staff interactions will foster a sense of support.
Promote effective leadership:
Appoint efficient leaders who can take care of the mental and emotional well-being of the employees. Their role is crucial in providing support and offering guidance to the workforce. Train the leaders, supervisors, and managers well so that step up and offer a helping hand whenever needed.
Tackle conflict peacefully:
Conflicts are unavoidable while working together as a team. When faced with any crisis, handle the situation peacefully. Be empathetic to the employees and pay attention to know their pressing concerns. Look at the situation objectively and find out practical, feasible solutions.
Understand diverse perspectives:
Be open to diverse thoughts and opinions. Respect the fact that everyone has their own viewpoint. Try to understand the way others approach a problem. Gather varied views while asking for suggestions and recommendations regarding a company issue.
Work on building empathy:
Understand that you cannot achieve empathy at the workplace overnight. So, take time and focus on activities that encourage empathetic feelings. Interact more with your team so that you get to know everyone better and can understand their individual needs.