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Empathy:
A Leadership Imperative
Since the start of the pandemic, many traditional workspaces have given way to home “offices”, meaning we open our homes to virtual colleagues. This new vulnerability has made empathy an even more imperative leadership capability, one that employee engagement depends on.
Empathy for and from each other is a way to fulfill our needs. That is why leaders, parents, politicians, and those with influence need to approach others with increased empathy and understanding.
Human needs include membership, order, and meaning. Membership can be established with a family, group, culture, or team. Order (or structure) is understood when we know where we belong and have a sense of direction. Meaning is found when we value what we do so that we have a sense of purpose. These needs are now intensified due to our increased uncertainty and fears.
Our organization has embarked on a virtual leadership series to enhance our leaders’ capabilities in these uncertain and challenging times. Our first session focused on “engaging with a sense of belonging”. One of its focus areas is leading with a more personalized connection to each employee through more personal, one-on-one discussion to understand how they
are coping and working in the new normal. While empathy and listening have always been important, they are even more critical in our direct reporting relationships, and we are emphasizing that everyone has different needs.
Employees’ unique workspaces need to be considered in each work assignment. We ask our
Lisa Cannata
Sr. Director Training Kroger Specialty Pharmacy
leaders to consider each of their associate’s readiness to work remotely, comfort with their new workspace, and individual needs – all to enable a good working environment.
We remind leaders that varying life circumstances may impede work/life balance and productivity, and empathy plays a huge part in setting proper expectations. We ask them to consider each employee’s work performance and use regular communications to understand what they are working on and if they need help.
Team dynamics also play a role in virtual engagement and empathy. It is important for leaders to know how much their employees are relying on and connecting with each other. Leaders should encourage virtual connection by assigning work projects that create opportunities for employees to connect and support each other. Consider how much interaction and connection we had in the office workspace! We encourage our leaders to foster that same connection among employees now, to solve problems and support each other.
A leader’s connection to and support of virtual teams is reliant on how empathetic they can be and how they cultivate relationships with their employees. Empathy is imperative for today’s leaders and will continue to be essential as the workplace evolves.
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