3 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy at Work

Empathy helps organizations thrive. Researchers have found that empathy in the workplace improves productivity, collaboration, leadership, & customer satisfaction.

Here are 3 ways to make it a norm in your workplace:

Make empathy an organizational value. Our values guide our actions. They’re what shapes an organization’s culture. Whether or not they’re formally recognized, the values that people see communicated and demonstrated become the norm.

There are many ways to do this. And some of the smallest actions can have the biggest impact. When we show gratitude, people feel valued. When we ask questions and listen with the goal of understanding, people feel heard and respected. These are particularly helpful tools when there’s disagreement. Why? Empathy cultivates more empathy. By modeling it, we invite it from others.

Integrate empathy into routine business practices. For example:

• Assess empathy when hiring, just as you would technical skills.
• Discuss the role of empathy in your workplace during orientation and training. Give examples. This is a time when employees are actively trying to understand norms and expectations. 
• Share stories regularly about the people your profession helps. Studies have found that when employees read brief stories about how others in their field have helped others, there is a measurable increase in productivity. This finding has held true for people in completely different fields, from university fundraisers to lifeguards to agricultural workers. Regardless of our profession, we all want to know our work has meaning.

We hope you share this blog with your colleagues. Let's #ActivateEmpathy.

Interested in cultivating a culture of empathy in your workplace?​ Contact us for a free consultation.

© 2019 Civic Communications, LLC