Empathy at Workplace

Something had happened that day. Something sinister. It was a small article in a newspaper highlighting that how someone suffering from mental trauma had decided to call the quits on the world. It got a small place in a National daily. And I remember wondering how many people will give it any attention. It probably would matter to only a few. Family and a few friends. I could not rant about it, but something had to be said. And it had to be said in a professional voice. So i had shared this on a platform.

I am touching upon today is a topic that has kept leaders awake at night mulling over their personal style of handling these undercurrents. I am talking about the key pillars of any organisation, i.e., the human capital and the way the powers that be engage them.

If ever there was a storm that took the world in its grip faster than one could shout, “Watch out,” it was COVID-19. For the first time, a calamity of that scale hit everyone, be it rich or poor, more so if you had comorbidities. Some lost dear ones- some at home, while others at the workplace.

The corporate sector did the best it could. People took pay cuts, and businesses paid salaries as long as they could sustain them. Many unfortunate smaller enterprises folded up when they couldn’t.

But what it brought out into the open was how one treated their employees. The impact on people was severe, irrespective of the position one held. Today, just a few years down the line, having retaken control of our lives, we are again staring the similar situation in certain sectors. So, what should be done? You ask.

Let me break it down into three simple buckets–

Human experience: Most people agree that the first day of their first job always remained vivid, even after having decades of distinguished careers. They could recall everything that transpired that day. Who came and spoke to them, people who ignored them (even if they became close later), or someone who invited them for a coffee/lunch. A day when for the first time they observed. That is a human experience. While town halls are a great way to bring in transparency to the collective, they still don’t (well, most of the times) connect with the individuals who might have been impacted by certain decisions.

A common grouse that is often observed is the expectation setting. While it is kosherto let someone go on performance grounds, it becomes an issue when an employee leaves for greener pastures. Make their exit memorable. They would remember you for life, just like their first day when they started. Recently Deepinder Goyal @ Zomato put out a post welcoming all those who had left or were asked to leave. While the post had mixed reactions, how many leaders have you seen do that? That is a sense of belonging.

Work experience: How one feels right before they swipe their card speaks volumes about their true feelings, as it’s subtle, personal, never to be spoken of, but to be acted upon when the time is right. Every man/woman was born free, so autonomy isn’t considered a privilege; it just ought to exist, to be exercised when needed and with impunity. A leader and his/her style of communication decide your retention ratio. If you see a northward trajectory, go for skip levels. The road to chaos is paved with insecure managers. A leader unwilling to prepare his/her successor is a red herring. Many a career can be salvaged by keeping a hawk eye out for misappropriated credit and astutely worded reviews.

Future experience: Hope you remember Alice in Wonderland.

Alice asks the Cheshire Cat, “Which road should she take?”

The cat asks, “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t much care where,” Alice said.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

“So long as I get somewhere,” said Alice.

Though the cat was right but so was Alice. You see, people have different perspectives and drivers. So even if it's Alice, you need to give her a sense of direction, a growth path, and a sense of security. Beyond that, let Alice find her way. She would surely get somewhere.

Seeing into the future builds tomorrow. Nurture the talent you have today by empowering them. One of the best tenets startup culture brought in was, ‘Try faster, fail faster.’

It not only gave people a chance to learn but also told them that someone had their back.

At the end, I would like to close by saying, resources are human first. Think of them as such, and they would surprise you.