The role of compassion in the workplace.

Over the past year, I have participated in at least 100 interviews with job candidates for our company. There were two main reasons why some of these candidates wanted to leave their current organization and work for another:

• Toxic workplace – non‑supportive work environment.
• Bad and Offensive Leadership.

The application of a humanitarian approach is something that characterizes our organization, which is why I chose to write about a Value and Quality that we believe is—and must be—dominant in Businesses and Organizations in the 21st century.

The quality of Compassion and Kindness in the Workplace.

Enjoy your reading.

—————–

For a very long time, compassion in the workplace has been perceived as an idealistic notion – yet today it is anything but idealistic, because it must become the new reality.

«Compassion in an organization exists when its people collectively observe, feel, and respond to the situations experienced by its members – in short, when they have cultivated the skill of empathy and the quality of ‘stepping into and walking in someone else’s shoes.’».

Compassion in the workplace – and in society as a whole – has increased significantly in recent times. The outbreak of COVID‑19 demanded that we show greater kindness and empathy toward colleagues, whether they work within the organization or from home. Demonstrating compassion and empathy is vital for staying connected, mentally healthy, and productive while navigating the challenges we face daily at work and beyond.

Compassion is essential for addressing any form of violence in the workplace. Building a work culture free of violence and exclusion aligns with connecting with our colleagues—our fellow human beings—on a deeper level, through actively listening to their needs and truly understanding them.

Compassion is the foundation of humanism and solidarity within businesses, placing people rightly at the forefront and center. Compassion is expressed through:

• Responding to the difficulties and challenges a colleague is going through with positive, proactive action, by personally offering support and assistance (whenever possible).
• Active and genuine interest and
• The application of advanced interpersonal skills along with a personalized approach.

All for one and One for all.” This is the motto of Compassion, which, if nothing else, is in itself encouraging.

Compassion and compassionate leadership have many benefits for individuals and organizations. However, the discussion around compassion in the workplace is still in its infancy at a time when it has never been more vital.

Compassion within the framework of workplace relationships

Compassion is defined as “the empathetic response of an individual to the pain, difficulties, and challenges of another person, which motivates people to act in ways that either ease the situation of the person experiencing the difficulty or make it more bearable.”

There are six key aspects related to compassion within an organization:

• Shared values – a set of values that an organization and its people consider important and hold in common.
• Shared beliefs – the beliefs held by employees regarding matters that pertain to their work.
• Rules – the Codes of Ethics and Common Acceptance that shape the way employees act and respond to one another.
• Organizational practices – practices that support and shape compassion in the workplace.
• The structure and quality of relationships – the quality of human connections among employees within an organization.
• Leaders’ behaviors – the importance of leaders’ actions, specifically signaling and modeling appropriate behaviors and addressing employees’ difficulties, thereby fostering a climate of trust, care, and mutual respect.

The results of compassion

Negative interactions among colleagues in workplace environments often lead to the formation of a toxic work culture. These have adverse consequences for both the organization and the individual. Positive interpersonal behaviors that arise from the application of Compassion within the organization can minimize the negative effects associated with the deterioration of the work environment.

Workplaces that embrace Compassion as a dominant quality in interpersonal relationships have been linked to positive personal and professional outcomes, such as:

• Positive emotions (at the individual, team, and organizational level).
• The reduction of work-related stress and increased emotional commitment to the organization (positive feelings toward the organization, connection with its people).
• Increased psychological well‑being.
• The increase in employees’ performance and effectiveness.
• Well‑being within the organization.
• Calm management of problems and a focus on solution‑finding.
• Positive behaviors and the outcomes of compassion support both business and ethical arguments, as well as the provision of long‑term benefits that arise from the existence of a compassion‑based workplace culture.

In the beginning was Self‑Compassion

We cannot truly show compassion to others if we have not first learned to listen to and show compassion to ourselves. And of course, by self‑compassion I do not mean that a person victimizes themselves for the hardships, difficulties, and challenges they face. Rather, it means being able to approach reality with realism, but also with tenderness, kindness, and compassion.

Compassionate Leadership and Why It Matters

Organizational culture and rules are built by the people who work within an organization, and it is our duty as employers and individuals who lead the organization to bring compassion into the workplace. Good and productive work is based on organizational systems where employees feel supported and valued. In an ideal world, employees should feel comfortable communicating and expressing ideas and issues related to their workplace and be able to build strong relationships of trust with their colleagues.

To make progress in this area, organizational leaders must set expectations and standards for the culture by establishing a clear Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for how we treat our colleagues in the workplace.

Compassion must start at the top.

What Compassionate Leadership Should Be Like

Five key characteristics required for compassion in the workplace:

• To be active and present alongside others in their difficulties.
• To be non-judgmental.
• Acceptance of diversity.
• To have empathy.
• To take appropriate measures to relieve employee stress when there is a problem.

Based on this, being a compassionate leader means offering encouragement, care, and compassion to the entire team.

How to Apply Compassion Toward Your Colleagues

We spend at least one third of our day at work not to care about the person next to us — our colleague.

• Learn about your colleague, not out of curiosity but out of genuine interest.
• Build a healthy connection with your colleague.
• Notice any changes in their behavior and discreetly show interest in whether there is something that is concerning them.
• Learn to listen carefully.
• Ask for help if you need it — and see if the person next to you needs help as well.
• Create a caring and gentle work environment (there is already enough violence out there to have it in your workplace as well).
• Make a gesture of appreciation toward your colleague (offer to make them a coffee, get them a small flower or a little gift, etc.).

Based on the above, practicing compassion in the workplace means offering interest, encouragement, care, and compassion to others.

Given the difficult times we are going through, I do not believe there is a better moment for an organization to adopt the model of Compassion within its culture.

How compassionate is your organization?

Do the leadership team and the individual work teams demonstrate compassionate behavior in the workplace?

As an individual, do you offer compassion to yourself and to your colleagues?

Let us keep in mind that compassion is a quality—a skill that can be cultivated. We can all be kinder, more attentive, and more supportive.

After all,

Compassion and Kindness are the highest form of Intelligence.