I recently had the privilege of speaking with Workplace Empathy Consultant Liesel Mindrebo Mertes about the awakening that is happening in the workforce as a result of COVID, change, and choice. How workers are choosing jobs based on values and what top leaders are doing to welcome and nurture the whole person at work.
We talk about personalizing empathy, why this change is good for your workplace, and how the question, “what did you do to support your people during COVID?” will mark your company for years to come.
I also share a little about my own personal growth related to empathy and compassion.
You can find the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. And you can listen to the episode here…
Here are three key takeaways from my conversation with Liesel…
- Yes, it has been a rough go and a time of tremendous shared suffering. And yet, this time can, conversely, provide an opportunity for connection, trust, and vulnerability like never before. Are you viewing the call to connection primarily as a burden or as an opportunity?
- As leaders and team members, it is important to tap into our own personalization of empathy. When is a time that you have needed extra support? That you have felt weak or in need of care? Considering these experiences can allow you more space to imagine what it could be like for another person. And while we will never, 100% “get” what it is like for someone else, this consideration can move us forward in empathy
- How you care for people now will mark your organization moving forward. I think it is such an insightful, true point. Prospective employees, in years to come, will ask what you did and how you cared for your people during a year and a half of tremendous disruption. As you think about your current practices and procedures, would you be happy and proud to talk about them in the coming years?
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