The gap between how management leads and how employees want to be treated has grown exponentially in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed how and where we work, with employees prioritising their quality of life and the option to work from home. Traditional employee benefits are evolving, with workers expecting a more personalised approach that reflects their unique needs.
To properly meet employee satisfaction (and productivity) employers must be empathetic to and understand those needs. This is especially crucial for managers, who have the most direct impact on employee satisfaction.
Yet, many still see ‘empathy’ as a ‘soft skill.’ Without empathy, managers cannot possibly understand the impact they have on well-being and performance. Dissatisfied employees are more often than not leaving their manager, not the organisation.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report ‘The role of empathy in being a good leader,’ a lack of empathy in managers can have a detrimental impact on employee well-being, productivity, and performance.
At KOTA, we want to redefine how managers view ‘empathy’ – not as a ‘soft’ or 'fluffy,’ but as a strategic tool for connection and collaboration.
True empathy involves understanding another’s perspective without necessarily agreeing. A good leader can be both compassionate and competitive, ambitious and kind at the same time. Involving empathy also means they’re better able to understand the need for both rational and emotional approaches to their leadership and business decisions.
Research shows that empathy boosts employee productivity, loyalty, and retention. Managers need to see that empathy is a means of ‘competitive advantage’. In her 2019 book The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion author Maria Ross coined this new competitive edge as ‘the empathy edge.’
It is inevitable and for the betterment of society that empathy is a natural part of how we conduct ourselves in business, education, the community and in our personal lives. We’re long overdue for a change of mindset around empathy, and the real and positive impact that could be made if our leaders prioritised it properly.
KOTA provides external, objective assessments of gauging the perceptual gap between employees and management with action plans to bring empathy into the workplace so real, direct dialogue happens. Book a consultation with us to start the conversation.