Empathy – the key to leading workplace change
We are surrounded by workplace change; changes to the structure of businesses, to the services they offer, and those now treating their businesses as start-ups and rethinking everything from the ground level up, as they weather the COVID-19 storm.
The reality is that most people don’t like change, and fair enough, especially when it may be their position and livelihood on the line – we get it. When we sit down with our clients, often the first thing we ask them is “how will your team cope with this proposed change?”. We then explore how it’s best to approach and communicate to those within the business. Each business has a different culture and team, and we adapt our approach to reflect this. There is ‘no one box fits all’ approach when it comes to leading workplace change, but there is one key that makes a difference – empathy.
If you want to successfully lead a workplace transformation and change, then communicating empathetically, and showing genuine compassion is key. It will make the world of difference not only to those whose employment may be ending with you, but also those staying on in your workplace, and transitioning through with you during the change.
What is empathy?
We like to define empathy as the ability to recognise other people’s emotions and to step into their shoes and understand matters from their perspective. Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence, it enables you to gain insight into how someone is feeling. To be able to effectively use empathy as a leader, you need to be able to put your feelings and opinions to the side, to enable you to see them from someone else’s perspective.
So, you ask, how do I show empathy when conducting workplace change?
Be open and transparent – the more informed your people are, and the more real you are with them, then the more understanding your people will be and the better they will adapt to change. Talk openly, build trust and credibility, by tackling matters head-on
Communicate to your audience – you know your team better than we do, and we rely on your knowledge to talk to us about how to best approach communicating with them. It's important to understand each individual’s mindset, values and beliefs, and general feelings, as dependant on this your communication may shift.
Involve your team in decision making – you must consult with your team regarding any changes that may affect them, but rather than going through the motions, genuinely involve them in your decision making. Workplace change and transformation are more likely to succeed when the whole team is behind it.
Provide support – be available and willing to talk to your team and provide support. Offer EAP counselling or make the details of government-funded counselling available (if you do not have an EAP provider), along with the government support available. If one of your team is made redundant, provide outplacement support to them (such as CV and interview support, and coaching), and be available as a reference on their job hunt.
So, where to start? Start by simply giving your team your full attention, look out for body language cues, genuinely listen to them and try to understand things from their perspective. Barak Obama famously quoted, “Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality character that can change the world”.
We genuinely care about your business and your people and we pride ourselves on our empathetic approach. We are here to help when it comes to workplace change and all your people needs.
Paige Hellier
ER & Legal Consultant