Today’s ever changing corporate environment calls for new kinds of people management skills.
From managing teams to peoples problems and handling customer service,an empathetic approach helps create a positive difference and transform work culture.
So what is empathy after all?
Empathy is about being able to perceive and understand another’s point of view using their frame of reference.
To sense the flow of the moment with another.
To communicate with & be able to understand another’s perspectives insecurities and pain points.
Empathy is a positive approach aimed at improving teamwork and building teams , bridges gaps of communication implementing changes through appreciation, support & encouragement than unnerving others with negativity & criticism that can be rather demoralizing.
Empathy can create and build trust and rapport that you can tap into. In using empathic responses, problems can find meaningful and lasting solutions.
In using empathy with skill, you show respect & value for another.
There is a huge wave of empathy oriented approaches in businesses across the world. This is truly valuable and must be encouraged.
After all empathy is a main contender in a list of skills that show emotional intelligence quotient of an individual.
Here are some interesting observations from office group meetings.
Office meetings are no different
From groups of human getting together
Human behaviour has an extensive range.
From shy to extroverted, bold to introverted
Myriad patterns of personalities
Manifest in business meetings.
There are those totally in charge
Setting the tones driving the agenda
There are those who are out to showcase skills at every opportunity.
There are others who are peacebuilders.
There are facilitators who are also great delegators.
They are resourceful in the absence of a leader.
There are those brimming with enthusiasm.
They are the ice breakers who reduce tensions.
There are the creativity enhancers.
They step beyond the box and think.
They can bring tangible and intangible to light.
They can be ambiguous or realistic in views.
There are contributors who just say a few words which make people rethink.
They may have voiced their opinion only after much thought.
There are those who blether on and on without consideration for others.
For, they love to be the centre of attention.
They forget it is a meeting with a time & agenda.
Then there are the team players who actually enjoy meetups.
They are adaptable, versatile and happy to help.
They are the bond that binds one and all.
They are juxtaposed with the reserved and silent ones.
They are those who are uncomfortable with the attention.
They are the wallflowers who may have many views but are quiet in a group.
They are great to tap into to hear alternate views.
Have you noticed those who are physically there in a meeting but yet not there?
They are lost in a realm of their own
They are wanderers who are free spirits actually.
They hate to be restrained in one space for even a while.
There is just one issue they hardly pay attention and hence may be unproductive at meetings.
Have you also met the pessimistic who always think it won’t work?
They can bring down the spirits and the morale of an entire team.
There are also the argumentative who always have a counter view without thinking.
Then come to the detail-oriented
Who never leave anything to chance.
They come prepared and are diligent.
They are at risk of seeming too intense.
They, however, can pinpoint the errors.
Their questions can bring clarity to the team.
Finally, there are those who rarely attend.
They saunter in without an agenda.
They have no idea what the meeting is all about.
They have never bothered to find out either.
They still can be channelised through proper directions.
Lastly, let’s watch out for perpetual latecomers.
They always may come in full of excuses but with the right interventions & time management skills.
They can be great contributors…
How many of these types have you observed in your office meetings?
Every person is unique, & likewise, every meeting is thus equally unique.
Through a positive approach, when utilized in the right way for the right skills…
Everyone can then, greatly contribute to the productivity of a meeting.
In my earlier stint of working in the aviation industry, I had the privilege of working with a multitude of passengers day in and day out.
Handling VIP passengers, tough customers and dealing with difficult situations was an everyday affair. But it taught me patience and adaptability on the job and most importantly how to maintain a cool and pleasant disposition no matter the time of the day or the shift you are in.
Beyond the glamour were the grind and the rigours of the conformity in the service industry.
However, there were some amazing takebacks & learnings for a lifetime with regards to people management especially customer service.
Sharing a few thoughts on Customer Care:
The best way to express customer care and what you can give any customer is your undivided attention.
It can be in the form of kind words, pleasant voice, empathetic smiles, nods and eye contact that work to show that you understand their needs or issues.
Psychologically it is equivalent to giving personal time, it aids to comfort people, reassure them, and make them feel good especially in moments of crisis, delays or disappointments.
Remember to avoid mechanical responses, choosing some people as favourites and treating them better.
Aim to treat every one of your customers as important.
Be understated and avoid embarrassing the client with too much emphasis on the care you are giving. Aim to be classy and not overly effusive that it looks unnatural. Customers may even start apologizing for taking your time…
Aim to do your best every time. Your customers may not remember how you did it but remember you made them feel special. And that goes a long way!
Recognize
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So a team or an organization is more than just the number of individual members put together.
Reframe
To bring different factions into consideration and consensus it is necessary to reframe the issues in a more inclusive way that speaks for one and all. It is important to validate the needs and apprehensions of all to find common ground.
Reconcile:
All are parts of an interdependent system.
So every move impacting one will impact one and all.
Remember :
The strength is in the interconnects.
So think beyond the immediate self and work towards envisioning & understanding the larger picture.
Resolve :
Be inclusive and expansive.
Be mindful to be positively impactful.
In every organization whenever there is a need to examine the pressing issues of individual human nature and/ or behaviour in a team and come to a resolution, it is mindful to be aware of the surfacing of hidden dynamics at play in communication and its impact on personal /professional relationships.
Any mediation is after all a process of balancing the ways of engaging, managing and productively finding resolutions that can help make a positive difference towards peace and goodwill.
