 Compassion is more than an emotion. It is a felt and enacted desire to alleviate suffering. It can be described as noticing when pain or sorrow is present in an employee, noticing when employee morale is low, feeling concern for people suffering, and taking action to alleviate suffering in some manner. Compassion is central to human well-being, for those who provide it as well as for those who receive it. Workplaces are a gathering place for people—people who sometimes bring pain, sorrow, suffering, etc. with them to work—whether we know it or not. Organization’s expectations have been that employees come to work and function at a high capacity with no excuses. That can be difficult for some who are consumed by these issues at times. Some common sources of suffering flow from outside work boundaries, when people suffer from illness, injury, loss, divorce, financial pressures, addiction, or other hardships. Forms of suffering that arise from work itself are, downsizing, restructuring, change processes, the stress of heavy workloads, performance pressure, feeling devalued, disrespectful interactions, and other organizational sources. Without compassion, organizations can become powerful amplifiers of human suffering. Imagine in a busy, high-pressure workplace where competition is rampant, that an email announcement is sent out about a fire that destroyed an employee’s home. People who open the announcement in their crowded email box feel a fleeting sense of concern—a concern that has to compete with the competing objectives of their jobs. Unfortunately, the feelings of empathy are dismissed as they turn their concern to the next deadline. Compassion is an irreplaceable dimension of excellence for any organization that wants to make the most of its human capabilities. Organizations that embrace compassion exhibit better financial performance and higher employee and customer retention. In addition, compassion fuels human-based collective capabilities such as creativity and learning that contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. Organizations where passion exists have reported six types of strategic advantage: innovation, service quality, collaboration, retaining talented people, employee and customer engagement, and adaptability to change. Compassion is not just a nice-to-have, it is the hidden heart of strategic success. How to Cultivate Compassion at Work Noticing: Paying attention to clues that might suggest someone is suffering (body language, tone of voice, or unusual work patterns) and gently inquiring in a private setting about what might be going on. Interpretation: Considering people’s suffering to be real and worthy. This can sometimes be hard to do if we hold certain automatic, unconscious biases, like the belief that people often deserve their misfortune, or certain groups of people are less worthy, all of which must be actively countered. Feeling: Empathizing with others. Luckily, we are wired to feel empathic concern when those we care about suffer; so simple gestures to increase connection, like keeping one’s door open, lingering after meetings, and putting cell phones away during conversations, build relationships that naturally encourage our empathic responses. Acting: Taking compassionate action can be improvised from the circumstances and tailored to meet the needs of the person suffering. Offering work flexibility, reassurance around job security, empathic listening, and meaningful rituals or mementos can all help to show you understand and care. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - Dalai Lama Adapted from, Worline, M.C. & Dutton, J.E. (2017). Awakening compassion at work: The quiet power that elevates people and organizations. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Oakland, CA. AuthorMisty Resendez, EdD Comments are closed.
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