Being a good leader is a challenge at the best of times. But in stressful or uncertain times, it becomes even more difficult. As a manager, you are responsible for business results and the job satisfaction and well-being of your employees. It is a long process, especially when many people who find themselves in management roles have never been taught to manage.
The best way to make your employees feel valued and respected during stressful times is to be empathetic. Here’s what empathy looks like at work and how you can use it:
Empathy is not an emotion, it is a choice
Fast company Contributor Davianne Harris writes that empathy is often misunderstood as a reaction or reaction to challenging situations. Empathy is a concept more than an attribute. He explains that being an empathetic leader is “the difference between telling employees how to solve a problem and developing people who can create their own solutions.”
Compassionate leadership requires making people feel heard and respected, which means asking your employees for their opinion, and taking their input into account when making decisions.
Open and clear communication
One of the biggest ways to build and maintain trust as a leader is to be as clear and transparent as possible. Especially in times of uncertainty, employees crave direct and transparent messages from their managers that go beyond directives and plans, he explains. Fast company contributor Leah Mether.
When things feel uncertain or stressful, share as much information as possible and be honest. People are smart and see through platitudes. It is also helpful to be able to clearly define your team’s or company’s vision, direction, and priorities and explain the “why” of decisions.
It’s also important to set realistic expectations. Mether points out that when so much feels out of control, having realistic and clear expectations about job demands, ethical standards, job stability, and flexibility is essential.
Put yourself in your employee’s shoes
Fast company contributor Stephen Kohler advises leaders to use empathetic pragmatism, saying that navigating difficult times requires leaders to “acknowledge the hard realities of business while keeping in mind the people those decisions affect.” Another way to think about it is to balance compassion with decision-making. One of the biggest ways to do this is to put yourself in your employee’s shoes.
It may sound obvious, but it can be easily overlooked. Ask yourself: If I were offered more work, if I were to read about layoffs in my industry, if I heard our company exceeded its profit targets, what would I think or feel? How would it directly affect me, my team, or my family? How would I want to be treated? After all, treating people the way you would like to be treated is called the “golden rule” for a reason.
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