Harnessing Empathy as the Efficiency Driver

 


 

The ongoing Pandemic has resulted in the building of pressure on leaders and 

managers -for delivering on time, according to the customer requirement and 

as specified in the brief. For organizations coping on multiple fronts of business 

activities, this causes untold problems. When some employees are working 

remotely, delivery schedules cannot be judged as earlier because of 

the enormous disruptions. This in itself is a huge setback and may result in 

strained relations with clients. The point is no one is at fault - it is the strange 

ongoing circumstances. While striving to ensure business continuity, leaders need 

to consider harnessing Empathy for building and driving efficiency.   


Effective Listening: 


To empathize, you need to know. And to know, you first need to listen. 

Too often, speaking, communicating well, being clear in your expressions, 

having a good vocabulary etc...are being professed as the mainstay of 

good communication. Books and blogs are written on how a good leader or 

manager should communicate with employees & teams. That is good, it is 

required. It is true that clear instructions, proper clarity, and succinct emails are 

needed. But - But. Is listening not part of Communication? Is it all only about 

speaking? True leaders listen - aggressively. To both, what is said and what is not. 

Good communications are a mix of both - listening and speaking. 

To drive empathy, one needs to have a sense of people's concerns, 

their aspirations and needs, their problems, their goals etc...And then try to 

address these. Without listening to employees, customers, partners, vendors - 

how can any business function efficiently? It cannot. That is why listening & 

feedback are such vital functions in communications, management, and Empathy. 

To empathize, you first need to listen.  


Empathy towards others’ feelings and perspectives


Only considering one's own opinions and judgement will get leaders nowhere. 

Businesses today run-on teams and partnerships. Hard, autocratic leadership 

styles went out with Hitler - make no mistake. Softer, inclusive, and democratic 

styles are in. In keeping with this, a compassionate outlook towards others 

feelings and points of view are a given. Thus, for leaders to harness empathy 

today, it is necessary to build an inclusive culture and get an insight into 

employee's, customer's, investor's, etc...feelings. And perspectives. 

Having these feedbacks will enable more detailed an overview of the 

business situation on hand and accordingly, give more clarity on the way 

ahead in terms of decisions + actions. Possibly, some approaches may even 

help evolve strong business relationships. For example, partnering other 

organizations may yield more traction Syrow deals 


Fusing the future & inclusivity: 


As leaders who have their eye on the organization's future and continuity, 

it is vital to stay apprised of virtually everything that impacts 

the business's present & future prospects. A proven way is to build an inclusive 

culture where people share experiences, their views, opinions, feedback and then 

ensuring that they get due credit + rewards. Building an inclusive culture will 

ensure an organization that is much more open, flat, non-hierarchical, and flexible. 

In turn, empathy will seamlessly emerge and be part of the culture since this process 

involves active, effective listening and an open receptive mind to other perspectives. 

Building organizational longevity will become more inclusive and a team effort, then - 

rather than just a cross a leader should carry. Thus, envisioning the future and striving

 to build inclusive into the organizational culture will pay off in the long run.  


Aligning organizational needs and employee aspirations: 


As a great thinker said, "Tackling the impossible and making it seem normal is 

the hallmark of a true leader". Every business, every organization and every 

leader or manager has their aspirations & goals. To ensure that they are all 

aligned and acting in tandem is quite difficult, but not impossible. While it may 

not be feasible in totality, it is definitely something to aspire for and act towards. 

In current climes, that means aligning business & organizational needs, Plus 

employee aspirations. Because employees drive the business - despite all the 

paeans sung to digitization, they drive the functions and get results. Hence, 

listening to their concerns and aspirations pays off in the long run. It defuses 

many brewing crises and enables course-correction. Present-day leaders would 

do well to heed empathy as a business approach, one that enables organizations 

to be flexible and allows them to align every concern that enables business continuity. 

And is business continuity not the stated goal of every organization? 


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