Have we realised that there was an emotional deficit in organisations? What will be the learning from this that will last into the future? It will take time to fully understand the emotional fallout; not only the toll the pandemic has taken but also the changing expectations of leadership.
Already we’ve seen the value that empathetic leaders add – their teams have performed better as a result.
In their article, Dave Ulrich, Martin Lindstrom and Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP make good human sense, and they are right to remind leaders of their obligation to protect and nurture their team’s wellbeing:
1. Feel empathy
2. Show empathy
3. Express appreciation
4. Exhibit positive accountability
5. Be transparent and humble
6. Make others better
Caring for team members, truly hearing and respecting them and recognising their needs all help to drive performance as well as engagement.
How can HR and L&D build this into leadership competencies and development programmes to make sure that our hard-won, positive learning is embedded?
Let’s grasp and keep the humanity that we have seen and valued over the last year.
What would you like to hold on to?