Connect Deeper With Your Team Through Empathy
Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. - Theodore Roosevelt
The ability to influence, develop, and effectively lead your team into the future requires mutual trust and a connection at the human level. Do you have that with your team today? Are those bonds as strong as they could be? Empathy may be the path to deepen those connections with your team members to ensure you can serve them in the best possible way.In my article Empathetic Leadership is Effective Leadership I discussed what empathy is. There are many misconceptions about empathy. If you have not read that article, I would encourage you to review that prior to proceeding here. It will provide context and background on why we are looking at empathy as a way to strengthen your team connections.
Develop Trust and Loyalty
Trust, loyalty, and engagement are heavily related. Establishing trust is a cornerstone of all aspects of effective leadership. Making empathy part of who you are will help establish relationships that are built on trust.
Trust and respect are the foundation for every healthy relationship, and when these increase, your effectiveness as a leader increases by promoting more employee engagement and improved performance. 1
Loyalty is a pledge from one individual to another individual, brand, or business. It is built on the trust of a consistent experience, with that person or business. If people believe you understand them and their needs through your ongoing actions, they will, in turn, provide their loyalty. This can go a long way in establishing your ability to affect long-term outcomes in your business purpose and processes.
Developing loyalty requires two fundamentals. First, people have to place value not just in your business and its mission, but in you as an individual. Second, they have to feel like the business is as much theirs as it yours. 2
Establishing a trusting environment where team members can pledge their loyalty to leaders is an ongoing process. In time, it will define the culture and lead to the output we typically refer to as engagement. Empathy plays a role in maintaining that output as well.
Using Empathy to Build Engagement
Empathy is not about simply agreeing with others. It is rarely as simple as agreeing or disagreeing. From the Forbes article, Empathy: A Major Skillset In Demand For Leaders:
Reflecting back the other person’s perspective, the action part of empathy, does not mean that you agree with them. Using empathy opens up engagement and understanding where the focus is on the individual and what they are experiencing.
This reinforces that effectively conveying empathy begins with listening, hearing, and understanding, skills that are closely linked to engagement by themselves.One of the biggest challenges that could come from empathy is the fact that you may actually disagree with the person you’re are working with. However, if you are working to understand their position, you will need to set aside your personal perspective and stand in their shoes. Imagine how you would feel if you shared a point of view that you knew the other person disagreed with, but they still took the time to hear your thoughts, understand your feelings, and then engage in a dialogue to see what options existed to move forward. It is not always about trying to convince someone or find a solution but to fully appreciate another person’s point of view. When that connection is made, the ability to further conversations and influence in new directions become possible.
Seek first to understand before seeking to be understood. - Steven Covey
Demonstrating that understanding and reflecting it in how you respond is the next level of leadership. It is not enough to seek the understanding, you must then act on it. That behavior is what builds engagement.Strengthening your relationship with your immediate and expanded team can have a profound impact on your ability to effectively lead in your organization. When combined with other aspects of positive leadership you set yourself up for building a happy environment and an engaged team that delivers on the vision and promises you have made to your customers.In my next article on empathy, I will explore how employing empathy influences leadership styles.How can you develop your empathy skills to connect better with your team? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.