8 Tips to Help Employees Practice Empathy at Work

8 tips to practice empathy at work

So, what does it actually look like for employees to practice empathy with each other? Here are some easy ways to incorporate empathy into a daily routine.

1. Assume best intentions of others

When we don’t understand someone’s perspective, it can be easy to assume the worst about them. However, this mindset allows negativity and potentially inaccurate biases to flourish and can destroy relationships.

Instead, approach each interaction with team members with a positive view. There may very well be more to the story underlying their behavior that you don’t yet know.

2. Listen more than you speak

When a team member discusses a challenge they’re experiencing, don’t interrupt them with tales of how you experienced something similar or offer unsolicited advice for what you think they should do. Sometimes, people just want to be heard and understood.

In these moments, practice active listening skills, which involves:

  • Focusing on what is being said
  • Making eye contact
  • Acknowledging what someone has said by repeating it back or requesting clarification on certain points
  • Avoiding nonverbal communication that could convey a lack of interest, such as fidgeting
  • Minimizing distractions

3. Ask questions

Don’t rely on your assumptions about a situation. Respectfully and thoughtfully ask team members questions so you can better understand the challenge they’re facing or their perspective on an issue.

4. Validate others’ feelings

Show that you recognize and understand what others are feeling, which is a critical part of conveying nonjudgment and building trust. You can say things like, “I’m sorry you’re experiencing this problem. I’m sure it must be so frustratingI appreciate your letting me know what’s going on.”

5. Step outside your comfort zone

Your biases can impact how you perceive others, especially those team members of different backgrounds and experiences. Remember: Different doesn’t equate with wrong or bad. To be more empathetic, you may just need to open yourself up to new experiences and broaden your way of thinking.

  • Be open to meeting new people in the office – even seeking out people who are different from you.
  • Consider others’ ideas and learn from them.
  • Challenge your own biases.

This can encourage diversity of thought as well as inclusion in the workplace.

6. Offer to help

One of the questions you should ask a team member who’s struggling is, “How can I help you?” For example, if they’re overwhelmed with their current workload, you could take some responsibilities off their plate or volunteer to serve as their back-up. This also demonstrates that you’re a team player.

7. Recognize others’ accomplishments or strengths

When people feel valued, it can help them overcome a challenge or setback. To remind team members of their worth, use peer recognition. Call them out in front of others for their:

  • Talents they bring to the table
  • Goals they’ve met
  • Achievements they’ve secured
  • Hard work

8. Take care of yourself

You can’t be empathetic to others if you’re stressed out, in a negative mindset and not taking care of yourself. Prioritize your wellbeing and work-life balance so you’re most likely to engage team members in a respectful and productive way.

Source: Kimberly J. Shaw, Insperity

“Like many things in life, your compassion is a skill that can be exercised.”
– Simeon Lindstrom

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

DiSC Management

Management on Catalyst uses Everything DiSC to provide insights about an individual’s personal management style while also providing tips on how to improve the following management specific skillsets:

  1. Directing & delegating
  2. Creating a motivating environment
  3. Developing talent
  4. Managing up

Everything DiSC Management on Catalyst will guide managers with specific tips on how to perform these tasks with anyone on their team. The DiSC Management tips on Catalyst are unique because all of the information is personalized to the user. The insights provided are dynamically customized based on a user’s personality style.

Simple Ways to Show Appreciation at Work

Simple ways to show appreciation at work 

Similar to trust, appreciation is relationship-based — each interaction with someone strengthens or weakens that invisible connection. The more we feel appreciated, the stronger those bonds become, and the more tension they can withstand when something challenges it. Consequently, knowing how to build and maintain relationships where people feel appreciated is a foundational skill — one that’s important to learn from the very early stages of your career.

While appreciation is something you can express, it’s also something you can show through your actions and behaviors. If you – as a manager or an individual contributor — want to build the kind of relationships where people feel valued, communication flows, and great work gets done, it’s important to expand your understanding of appreciation beyond verbal expressions and learn to show people you value them as well.

Show your appreciation for people’s presence.

To feel a sense of belonging, people must know that others care that they are there. Sure, we all get paid to show up to our jobs every day. But the reality is that our peers and direct reports could choose to work elsewhere. Letting someone know their presence is having an impact on you or the organization can make a big difference. Managers and individual contributors alike can share this appreciation with the following actions:

  • Although it sounds like basic decency, greet people when they arrive at the office or join a meeting, and say goodbye when they leave.
  • Notice when people are missing at work and reach out: “I haven’t seen you at work for three days. Just checking in to make sure you’re okay?”
  • If people work late or cover for you or others, notice and acknowledge what they are doing. Bring them a cup of coffee and let them know you are ready to cover for them in the future.
  • Even if it is people’s job to be there, thank them for coming. 

Show your appreciation of people’s ideas and contributions.

Creating a psychologically safe environment where people openly share ideas and speak up when there is a problem is everyone’s job. Managers and individual contributors alike need to show colleagues that their input is welcome and celebrated.

Leaders can role model how to treat one another by actively seeking and amplifying other people’s ideas, and individual contributors can do the same with their peers. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Managers

  • Nurture a culture of sharing ideas by asking for employee input in each staff meeting.
  • Honor people’s ideas and expertise by talking them up in senior leader meetings: “Maria is actually the one who came up with the idea for this project and has been leading the team to make the result happen!”
  • In meetings, ask quiet, less vocal team members to share input or ideas on projects: “Keshia, what do you think about this? I would love to hear your ideas on the project.”

Individual Contributor

  • When people share input or feedback on a project, whether you like their idea or not, actively listen. Nod along, ask questions, and thank them for sharing.
  • When working on a project, ask others for feedback and ideas on how to improve.
  • Adopt a “Yes, and” mentality when it comes to other people’s ideas. Instead of saying “I disagree,” say, “Yes, and what about…?” and share another idea or addition to their idea.
  • When someone has a great idea that people did not hear, bring it to the attention of others: “I want to bring the attention back to an idea Ethan shared earlier. Ethan, would you mind repeating?”
  • If someone gives you credit for another person’s ideas, direct their praise to the correct person: “Thank you for noticing, but that was all John’s idea! Make sure you let him know, he will love to know you feel this way!”

Show your appreciation of people’s lives outside of work.

Our jobs should help us live our best lives, not take them over. For our employees to feel appreciated, they need to know that we understand their passions, priorities, and responsibilities outside of work.

People need leaders who respect boundaries and role model self care, and coworkers who nurture a culture of support. Here are a few ideas. 

Managers

  • In order to appreciate people’s lives outside of work, you need to know about them. Take the time to ask about your direct reports’ weekends, holidays, and hobbies outside of work. Learn about their families, kids, and what they do for fun.
  • Display work-life balance by having a life outside of work yourself. For example, leave work to go to your kids’ events to show others that balance is encouraged.
  • Avoid scheduling meetings before 9 am and after 5 pm so people are not forced to choose between making the boss happy and living their lives.
  • Avoid sending emails on weekends, late at night, and on vacations.
  • If someone has a major life change — like getting married, having a child, losing a loved one, having surgery, or going through a divorce — ask how you and the team can best support them. Put a note in your calendar to check in a month later. It can make a world of difference to your colleague that you remember.
  • Before making a request at 5 pm on a Friday, think about how the request may impact your employee’s life outside of work. If it can wait until Monday, let it. 

Individual Contributor

  • One of the best ways to support people’s lives outside of work is to always keep them in mind when you’re at work. Every time we fail to deliver on time, show up, or do our tasks, it has an impact on others. When we don’t do our work to the best of our abilities, it means someone else’s work is impacted. The best way to respect people’s lives outside of work is to honor and respect their time at work. Be an extraordinary coworker.
  • Take time to understand your coworkers’ lives outside of work. Ask them about their families, hobbies, and how they spend their time.
  • Nurture a community of support in your office by stepping up for each other when one of you goes on vacation, has a doctor’s appointment, or needs to attend an important event.

Show your appreciation of people’s need for growth and development.

One of the main reasons employees give for leaving jobs is a lack of development opportunities. While many people think development is about promotions and attending trainings, it’s also about being around people who challenge us — managers that take time to understand and support our career goals, and coworkers who help us learn and grow. Give the following a try.

Managers

  • If you don’t already know the career goals and aspirations of your direct reports, take time to understand them. Learn about what skills they want to develop and the kinds of projects they want to be working on. What topics are interesting to them and what kind of role do they see themselves in in five years?
  • Once you know people’s goals, actively find opportunities that can help them develop those skills through stretch assignments, job shadowing, conferences, internal presentations, or challenging projects. Be sure to debrief and help the person link the skills they are developing to the assignment they’re working on.
  • Have regular “stay conversations” to make sure your direct reports feel fulfilled at work and that they are learning and growing in their roles.
  • If your employee has the desire to go back to school or earn professional certification, find ways to help them carve time out in their schedule to take classes.
  • If someone is excelling in their position, and there is no room to move up in your company, help them explore opportunities at other companies. Let them know you will be their reference if they find an opportunity for growth outside of your organization.

Individual Contributor

  • Ask your coworkers for feedback and tips on how you can improve and invite them to do the same with you: “Maria, thank for attending my presentation I would love you’re your input. What are one or two things could I do next time to improve?”
  • Take time to learn about the career goals of the people on your team and find ways to support them to work toward them: “Jon, I am curious what are some of your career goals? Is there anything I can do to support you with the experience and knowledge I have?
  • If you hear about learning opportunities or networking events, or find interesting articles they may help your coworker, share them.
  • When a colleague gets a promotion, celebrate with them. “Hey Vas, I just saw the announcement you were promoted! It made my day to see and just wanted you to know I excited for you.”

Source: Christopher Littlefield, Harvard Business Review

“Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret”. 
– Mary Kay Ash

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

Your Group

This fun, interactive feature helps teams work better together. By combining DiSC with actionable group insights, teams build cohesion while adapting their behaviors for optimal performance. Learners can create multiple groups, plot members on a DiSC map, and shed light on team dynamics that influence results.

5 Steps to Engage the Heart and Mind at Each Stage of a Conversation

5 Steps to engage the heart and mind in a conversation

As a leader, you will navigate a business landscape demanding speed, adaptability, and courage. You’re faced with balancing swift decision-making with a need to initiate and engage in discussions on vital topics such as performance, profitability, and change management. These are important conversations, and let’s face it, they can sometimes feel tough.
The following five steps provide a framework to prepare key messages to achieve the objectives of the conversation (practical needs) and consider how to engage the heart and mind at every step, ensuring people feel valued, understood, supported, and respected (personal needs).

1. Open: Clearly describe the purpose of the discussion and explain why it’s important.

2. Clarify: Seek and share information about the situation. This step is often skipped, but remember you may not have the full picture. Be curious about the situation and listen with empathy.

If you demonstrate an understanding of the context elements, people are more likely to trust your intention. Overcome resistance by sharing data to support your perspective:

  • I can see this caught you off guard. Why don’t I share the survey data, and we can discuss how to address the problem?”

Oversee this step if you are on the practical side of the continuum.

3. Develop: Use your understanding of the situation to seek and discuss ideas. Explore needed resources and support.

It is often useful to involve others to share their ideas and suggestions before offering your own. Involving people sparks their creative energy and can generate better ideas. But most importantly, when you involve others in the ideation, they will be more committed to putting their own ideas into action. Overcome resistance by sharing your own experience:

  • “What am I supposed to do now? I’ve never dealt with this before.”
  • “The first time this happened to me, it was a real blow to my confidence, but it helped me grow. Let’s come up with ways to mitigate the issues.”

  1. 4. Agree: Ensure understanding and agreement of who will do what and by when. If you end the discussion without agreeing on actions, you risk people leaving the discussion unclear about what to do next. Confirm how to track progress and offer support. Watch this step carefully if you are on the personal side of the continuum.

  1. 5. Close: The closing gives you a chance to briefly summarize what was discussed and agreed to. This helps ensure commitment to actions as well as builds both parties’ confidence and esteem in achieving the plan.

Source: DDI, 2023

“Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.”
– Charlie Kaufman

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

DiSC Management

Management on Catalyst uses Everything DiSC to provide insights about an individual’s personal management style while also providing tips on how to improve the following management specific skillsets:

  1. Directing & delegating
  2. Creating a motivating environment
  3. Developing talent
  4. Managing up

Everything DiSC Management on Catalyst will guide managers with specific tips on how to perform these tasks with anyone on their team. The DiSC Management tips on Catalyst are unique because all of the information is personalized to the user. The insights provided are dynamically customized based on a user’s personality style.

5 Can’t Miss Keys to Fostering Innovation in the Workplace

5 keys to fostering innovation in the workplace

In business, it’s critical to adapt to and create change in order to stay ahead of the competition. When you foster a culture of innovation in the workplace, the payoff can be greater business achievement.

It can’t just be the members of your leadership team who are tasked with coming up with ideas to do things better or faster. It requires a commitment and input from all levels of the company.

  1. Create opportunities for sharing ideas

Does your organization have a culture of innovation? Can your employees come to you with ideas? Or do you regard questions and suggestions as disruptive?

When employees have the opportunity to be innovative and contribute to your company’s mission and goals, it increases their level of engagement. They feel a part of a whole and see how their work moves the business forward. It’s a terrific motivator.

Your goal is to create an environment where sharing ideas is OK. Be receptive and appreciative of your employees’ interest and input. While every suggestion may not be something the organization takes on, the ideas are worth considering.

Once you tap into the intellectual capital of your employees, you – and they – may be surprised at what you uncover. But you may find there are some who are reluctant to get involved; they’re likely afraid of failure or think their jobs aren’t innovative or creative.

To pave the way for employees who are reluctant, consider having a group brainstorming session. Ground rules should dictate that there are no bad ideas. This is also where you make sure the more timid employees have an opportunity to participate.

Consider having everyone write their ideas on index cards and tape them on the wall. Or for a hybrid and remote team, create a survey that’s always available for individuals to share ideas. Whichever you decide, this makes it so the idea is the focus of attention – not the individual. This will provide the opportunity for all to share ideas, not just the superstars.

  1. Provide the right resources

You have to give your team enough time, budget and encouragement to truly innovate. They need all three resources to be successful.

Time is usually the resource that’s lacking. There’s never enough of it – we get embroiled in the daily to-dos and don’t consider future needs.

This may require a shift in culture for your organization. Allowing time for brainstorming, research, testing, failure, recalibration and implementation is difficult. It takes commitment and planning. Innovation and creativity don’t happen without the investment of time.

What can you do to provide the resource of time needed to foster innovation in the workplace?

  • Set aside weekly chunks of time for team discussions about what’s working or not working – and how it can be made better.
  • Challenge your employees to help you overcome an obstacle with an inventive way of dealing with it.
  • Split them into teams for a friendly competition on problem-solving.
  • Offer training and development on creativity, change, teamwork and motivation.
  • Embrace failure as just another step toward getting it right.

As for budget, are there resources your team needs to be more creative?

Does everyone have the right digital tools that will help create innovative solutions? Is there additional training needed for increased learning and development in new areas of focus? What’s it going to cost you to bring out the innovation on your team?

Encouragement is the secret sauce in fostering innovation in the workplace. The first step is to make clear the company’s key objectives so that new ideas focus on what’s important for the organization.

The next step is to make your workplace a safe place to take a risk. Remember, not everyone wants to speak up for fear of failure or rejection. But everyone has ideas – it may just take some time and practice to get them to share.

For ongoing encouragement and learning, suggest books or articles on creativity and innovation to help employees find out how to tap into their own creative ideas.

You also could have employees spend time job-shadowing someone in the company. It just might spur one of them to do their job differently to align better with company goals.

If you’re open to hearing about it, your employees will likely embrace the opportunity to make a positive change. Most people are surprised at how innovative they can be, given a chance.

  1. Promote freedom and flexibility

As we’ve discussed in previous blogs on how various generations like to work, many employees are more comfortable working wherever they are, rather than the confines of a cubicle or traditional nine to five schedule.

They feel restricted – especially from an innovation perspective – if they’re required to work a certain way, at a certain in, following very specific instructions.

It’s largely because of generations Y and Z that organizations are reconsidering how employees get work done. We’re seeing more workweeks that include alternate days off, flexible schedules, longer workdays with more days off, varied start times, remote schedules, etc.

While some businesses can’t afford to organize shifts based on employee preferences – customer needs take priority – some organizations can be more flexible on when employee productivity happens.

When your employees are working at a time, place and pace that’s best for them, they’ll be more apt to offer creative and innovative ways for getting work done. And, if they feel they have the freedom to work in the way that’s best for them, they’ll likely feel more valued and be more engaged.

Innovation can flourish, and your bottom line sees the result when productivity and employee engagement are at their peak.

A side note: The perception that a company has an old-fashioned work structure may make it difficult to attract and retain employees.

  1. Build a diverse team

What is the design of your team? Is it a diverse group of thinkers?

News flash: If you’ve hired like-minded people of similar experiences, backgrounds, skill sets, mindsets, age, etc., you’re on a path to innovation failure. For innovation to make a real difference, you need a variety of ideas.

Take a fresh look at your team. If they’re all like you, make sure your next hire is somebody who breaks the mold. Then, listen to them. Innovation doesn’t work if you hire people with varied skills and experiences but insulate yourself from their ideas.

Encourage your staff to experience new things, brush up on professional development and tap into what’s going on in your industry. When they learn about trends or new concepts through education, invite them to figure out how to incorporate those into their work.

  1. Work to individual strengths

Find the right people for each task. This may be different than a job description. It’s about productivity and where their skill sets fit best. You can enhance your employees’ innovation when the skills and tasks align.

Let’s say you’re trying to streamline your processes for greater efficiency. You might gather a group of workers together and charge them with finding ways to restructure the process.

You could pick your top four superstars and turn them loose on the project. But take a moment to think about it: Is there someone whose natural bent can bring something different to the team? Someone you wouldn’t typically seek out for a special project?

What about Joe? Although he usually stays in the background and lets other shine – because he believes there’s really no “innovation” or “creativity” in his job – you remember something: He’s the guy who reads math and statistics books for fun.

Could Joe’s acumen be the catalyst for a new process at your company? Joe – who never thought innovation was part of his job description – is suddenly the company’s newest innovator.

Given his success on this project, he’s ready to tackle the next challenge. You’ve just unleashed innovation in the workplace!

“Innovation is taking two things that exsist and putting them together in a new way”. 
– Tom Freston

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

Conversation Starters

With Conversation Starters on Catalyst, teams have an easy and fun way to tackle common challenges that hinder performance and move to tangible change. By combining DiSC with simple discussion guides, teams can talk about personality-based differences and how they affect group performance.

You will:

  • Get to know each other faster
  • Communicate more clearly
  • Make better decisions together

Getting started is easy!

  1. Visit the Your Groups feature on Catalyst
  2. Create and save a group with people in your organization
  3. Click into Conversation Starters and choose a topic

Managers are Spending 4hrs a Week Dealing with Conflict

managers spend 4hrs a week dealing with conflict 

A new report by Meyers-Briggs, Conflict at Work, reveals that managers spend an average of four hours each week dealing with employee conflict. The research investigates how people in the workplace see conflict today and what we can do to manage it better.

Conflict is what happens when there is a difference of opinion. Change and disruption bring difference, which helps to explain why managing conflict is so valuable in the workplace right now. Our working environment is constantly changing.

John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company and who carried out the study says “This research sheds light on how people in the workplace see conflict and shows how individuals can use knowledge of their own conflict-handling style and personality type to navigate conflict more effectively.”

The Conflict at Work research includes insights such as:

  • Poor communication is the number one cause of conflict.
  • Nearly 1 in 4 people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
  • The more time that an individual spent dealing with conflict at work, the lower their job satisfaction and the less included they felt.

Compared to the company’s 2008 study, workplace conflict is becoming more common. Over a third (36%) of people now report dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time, compared to 29% previously.

The top cause of conflict was poor communication, though conflict looked different for in-office, hybrid, and remote workers. In-office workers were more likely to say that poor communication caused conflict at work compared to hybrid or fully remote workers; but those working hybrid schedules were more likely to say a lack of transparency caused the most conflict.

In an open-ended question, survey respondents were asked, “Whose responsibility is it to ensure that conflict in the workplace is managed effectively?” 241 individuals responded, and their answers were categorized into themes:

 

Line Supervisor/Manager 45%
Everyone 42%
Me/People Directly Involved 20%
Middle/Senior Management 20%
HR 8%
Everyone 3%

 

With only 8% looking to HR to help resolve conflict, it’s important to train all employees on how to properly manage conflict. Conflict is inevitable, and if handled properly, can lead to improved relationships, new processes, and new ideas.

The greatest positive benefits of conflict were seen as building relationships, collaboration, and co-operation.

  • Women were more likely than men to mention outcomes around building relationships, collaboration, and co-operation.
  • Respondents who mentioned outcomes around building relationships, collaboration, and co-operation tended to spend a greater proportion of their time working remotely compared with those who did not.
  • They also gave a higher rating to the importance of conflict handling as a leadership or management skill.
  • Those who mentioned outcomes around achieving a better solution tended to rate their ability to manage conflict more positively.
  • Those who mentioned outcomes around change, innovation, or new ideas were more likely to mention changes in policies, products etc., and a lack of transparency as causes of conflict.

 

Source: Meyers Briggs, 2022

“It you have learned to disagree without being disagreeable, then you have discovered the secret of getting along-whether it be business, family relations, or life itself”. 
– Bernard Meltzer

How to Cultivate Leadership Presence Remotely

With the intensity of working online, it is particularly important to find ways of consciously managing your attention. Here are some things to try (whether on Zoom or in person) so that you stay energized as well as engage your co-workers.

1. Before a meeting

Take a few moments to become present. Find a quiet space where you can close your eyes and notice what you’re feeling. Put away your phone (unless you need it to be logged onto a meeting or for a call.) Keep it out of sight so that you’re less likely to swivel your attention in its direction. The people you’re with will feel more valued if they’re not competing for your attention.

2. During a meeting

Notice yourself breathing in and out. Maintain eye contact when another person is speaking. If you’re not able to give other people your full attention, say so. It is better to say, “I know you need to talk with me and I’m interested, but I want to give you my undivided attention” than to be in a semi-distracted state. Take care of what you need to and then return to
the conversation.

3. After a meeting

Carve out whatever space you can between meetings rather than rushing from one to the next. Even a short break of a few minutes helps to clear your mind and reduce “attention residue” (continuing to think about one issue when you need to pivot to the next). If it’s possible to stand outside or open a window, even for a few seconds, the fresh air will help to keep your attention focused in the here-and-now.

At the end of a meeting, jot down any actions or decisions that were taken so that these don’t remain as ‘open loops’ in your mind. Close your ‘loops’ from one meeting before you head to or log into the next.

In closing

Our presence is what creates the most impact when someone walks into the room, whether in person or on Zoom. Great leaders have it and you can too. Presence is available to us each moment. Cultivating presence will greatly enhance the quality of your leadership and life.


Source: Allan Watkinson, Rohit Kar and Jennifer Robinson via Gallup