Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 9, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 17 Knowledge + Experience + Trusted Advice. It all adds up. Large enough to serve the needs of most businesses and individuals; small enough to offer the personal attention you expect and deserve. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC Certified Public Accountants 306 Main Street, Suite 400 • Worcester, MA 01608 508.791.0901 • www.grkb.com Empathy improves your business F ieen years ago the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclu- sion) narrative in supporting individuals, initiatives and organizations focused on teaching tolerance. Teaching tolerance is a miss, given the word tolerance is steeped in privilege. In this context, no one should simply be tolerated, as though their existence a bother. From tolerance, the focus moved to acceptance. is word is also flawed, as it infers one needs to be validated through the acceptance of another, and pointedly from folks in dominant socie- tal seats of power. Today, DEI work is focusing in on empathy. Empathy puts everyone on the same level, and it is grounded in action, thoughtfulness, and connectivity. Empa- thy is putting yourself in someone else's shoes, being thoughtful about what someone else is going through; unlike sympathy, which can feel patronizing and come across as a removed expres- sion of feeling sorry. Empathy connects us to each other's experiences in a way tolerance, acceptance, and sympathy cannot. Simon Baron-Cohen, British psychologist and professor of develop- mental psychopathology at the Univer- sity of Cambridge, said, "Empathy is like a universal solvent. Any problem immersed in empathy becomes soluble." A lack of empathy at the compa- ny-wide level will lead to a breakdown in relationships and the organization. When people don't feel cared for, heard, understood, or appreciated, they stop giving their best efforts. I reached out to four managers to find out what a lack of empathy looks like in an organization: 1. Aer years of passing over my best customer service representative for pro- motion because of financial constraints, I saw this individual staring with a deadpan expression as they interrupt a distressed customer in mid-sentence, frustrated by the customer's response to her merchandise not ringing up at the sale price, saying to the customer, "I guess today isn't your lucky day, or maybe pink isn't your color." 2. My colleague calling me at home the day aer I went out on bereavement leave aer my dad passed, to say all in one sentence, "I'm sorry for your loss; hey, could you still get me those stats for the presentation tomorrow? I know you're going to be out for a few days." 3. My vice president asking me to conference-in on a call when I was home caring for my sick child. 4. A Muslim colleague explained in a staff meeting how the presidential administration's agenda, including the travel bans, affected him daily. Another colleague said, "You just have to learn how to put that stuff on a shelf when you come to work." When employees feel understood, they're more receptive to others' concerns. is lends to team cohesion and collaboration. ey're more apt to take risks, believing they'll be sup- ported. According to Businessolver's 2017 Workplace Empathy Monitor re- port, empathy has a direct impact on employee productivity, loyalty, and engagement. Here are some particularly striking data points from the report: 77% of workers would be willing to work more hours for a more empathetic workplace. 92% of human resources profession- als note a compassionate workplace is a major factor for employee retention. 80% of Millennials note they would leave their current job if their office became less empathetic. How you can practice empathy: 1. Be thoughtful about how you listen and adjust for improvement. 2. Ask questions reflecting support. 3. Be mindful: Visualize walking in your coworkers' shoes. 4. Avoid making assumptions. 5. Prioritize problems: Choose your battles; employees have a lot to do. 6. Be transparent with your staff. 7. Remember people have feelings not always separated from business. 8. Be patient with yourself and others in improving empathetic practices. Bonnie J. Walker is the interim direc- tor of equity and inclusion at Worcester Academy, plying this arena in education in Mass. for 15 years. Contact her at bonnie.walker@worcesteracademy.org. W Worcester Business Journal WBJ Worcester Business Journal Know Central Mass. Business Stay informed, engaged and connected with a print + digital subscription to the Worcester Business Journal. You'll receive bi-weekly issues, special publications and full online access. Subscribe online: wbjournal.com/subscribe, Or call: (508) 755-8004 WITH BONNIE J. WALKER Outside the Box

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