Skip to content

Foster Empathy Among Team Members

Child-targeted offering: Emotions significantly impact various activities, including work. The ever-evolving corporate landscape has a considerable influence on our emotions, leading to either concentration or absence thereof. A survey by Gallup revealed a decline in employee ownership at work,...

In the spotlight:Emotional impact in workplaces and declining employee ownership
In the spotlight:Emotional impact in workplaces and declining employee ownership

Foster Empathy Among Team Members

In today's fast-paced work environment, emotions play a significant role in shaping our efforts and focus. The bustling corporate world has a profound impact on our feelings, often leading to disturbances in our concentration at work. According to a survey by Gallup, employee engagement at work has dropped significantly over the last few years, resulting in part from the Great Resignation we're witnessing today.

One major reason for this burnout is the lack of recognition from leaders. Yet, connecting with employees on an emotional level can be a game-changer. By recognizing and valuing their emotions, managers can build trust and foster a stronger bond with their team members.

Here are a few strategies to engage with your team and create a more empathetic work environment:

Recognition and Its Power

Recognition not only makes team members feel seen and valued but also increases their sense of belonging. When we feel appreciated at work, we tend to develop stronger connections with our colleagues. Public acknowledgement from your manager, especially, can bring immense happiness and generate trust within the organization.

Recognized employees exhibit increased motivation, improved teamwork skills, and greater job satisfaction. In fact, employees who demonstrate care, compassion, and empathy towards their colleagues are more content and loyal to the organization they work for.

Cultivating Empathy through Exercises

Adopting empathy as a team requires understanding and responding to the emotions of team members. This is just as essential in virtual workspaces as it is in physical ones. Here are some simple practices to help you connect with your team:

  1. Opening round of gratitude: Begin team meetings by allowing one member to express their appreciation for another's work. This exercise should continue until every team member has been recognized.
  2. Complete-me statements: Move your team towards compassion and understanding by completing sentences such as "I understand you feel..." or "When I see you struggling, I want you to know that..." This activity can be led by any team member and encourages everyone to contribute.
  3. Step-in circles: Form a circle with your team members and ask them to step in when they agree with the statement. Afterward, they should step back to their original position. This exercise provides a simple yet effective way to gain insights into your coworkers.
  4. Raising hands for shared experiences: Encourage members to share their failures and ask others to raise their hands if they have had a similar experience. This collective acknowledgement helps everyone understand that they are notalone and that others have gone through similar emotions but have recovered.
  5. Pause for shared grief, appreciation, or recognition: Take a moment to recognize a team member's achievements or contributions or pause work to share the grief of a team member. This act builds a strong bond among team members.
  6. Handwritten notes: Provide cards to show recognition and leave a lasting impression. A thoughtful, handwritten note can evoke strong emotions in the recipient and motivate them to give their best.
  7. Creative story-telling: Invite team members to share their wins and recognize each other's accomplishments. Ask customers or suppliers to create videos expressing appreciation for their employees, which can then be shared with the team.

By practicing empathy with your teammates, you'll build stronger trust, care, and support. In today's workplace, nurturing these connections is essential for employee retention and overall wellbeing.

According to Christine Porath and Adrienne Boissy, empathy exercises can drastically improve communication, reduce employee burnout, foster psychological safety, and promote cross-functional understanding. In short, empathy is a key skill for nurturing a supportive, thriving workplace where everyone feels valued and heard.

  1. By recognizing and valuing team members, managers can foster trust and strengthen connections, which increases motivation, improves teamwork skills, and boosts job satisfaction.
  2. Adopting empathy in virtual workspaces is just as important as in physical ones, and practices such as opening rounds of gratitude, complete-me statements, step-in circles, and raising hands for shared experiences can help connect team members.
  3. Public acknowledgement from a manager and practices like handwritten notes, creative story-telling, and pausing for shared moments of grief, appreciation, or recognition can further bolster these connections and foster a work environment that promotes employee retention and overall well-being.
  4. Empathy can drastically improve communication, reduce burnout, foster psychological safety, and promote cross-functional understanding in the workplace, making it a crucial skill for nurturing a supportive, thriving business where everyone feels valued and heard.

Read also:

    Latest