The last two years of the pandemic have certainly brought attention to the importance of empathy in the workplace. As revealed in a study done by Catalyst, Forbes.com reported that when people felt their leaders were more empathetic, 86% indicated they were able to navigate the demands of their work and life. Empathy in the workplace resulted in them feeling that could juggle their personal, family and work obligations successfully.

Websters II New Riverside Dictionary defines empathy as “identification with and understanding of the thoughts or feelings of another.” The hospitality industry is a human-centered industry where identifying and understanding the feelings of others is important in a variety of circumstances every day.

In addition to empathetic leaders, it’s important to have empathetic employees who can establish emotional connections with your clientele. For your employees to demonstrate empathy, leaders first need to serve as role models showing empathy to their teams.

To be an empathetic and effective leader means understanding the trials and tribulations your employees’ experiences on a daily basis. Do you feel your leadership style conveys that you sincerely care, and are concerned, about their feelings?

According to Hospitality.net, “The fastest way to achieve this (i.e., understanding employees’ experiences), is to have worked in the position those employees are currently working. This is the quickest method to fully understanding the responsibilities of the people one would manage, the amount of effort/trouble a request one may have for them will give, and in turn, allows a manager to share valuable insight as to how he/she handled certain situations when they were in a similar position.” If you haven’t worked in the same positions, don’t fret. You can still be an empathetic leader.

How does one become an empathetic leader?

Empathy is a skill that can be learned. Here are four tips to consider:

  1. Be a good listener. When an employee comes to you with an issue or a challenge they’re facing, let them speak before you respond. Tune into what they’re saying, but also pay attention to their body language. A good listener really listens to understand the situation vs. waiting for the employee to finish just so he/she can share their point of view. This creates a safe environment and helps to establish trust.
  2. Be a good communicator. Take the time to understand the emotions that your team members are feeling. Mirror what you hear them saying to acknowledge that you heard them correctly. Clear communication builds rapport and reinforces to team members that they’ve been heard, which also helps resolve conflicts. This too establishes trust.
  3. Strengthen personal relationships. Sometimes employees feel that a company cares more about the bottom line than they do about their employees’ lives. Therefore, showing your team members that you care about them – and their unique situations as individuals – can create strong personal bonds. A conversation doesn’t have to center on work issues, ask about their family, interests outside of work, etc. When they feel you’re leading with empathy, they’re more likely to feel comfortable coming to you when something arises (be it personal or professional) that affects their job performance.
  4. Ask for feedback. Gain insight into what your employees are experiencing by asking them for their input. By doing so you may discover something that has been festering, but no one felt comfortable sharing until they were asked about it. You can even ask them to submit their thoughts anonymously to ensure them of their privacy, yet still get honest responses. If you’ve demonstrated that you’re an empathetic listener and communicator, encouraging employees to contribute their feedback also boosts engagement and morale.

When referring to the importance of empathy among team leaders, Mary Ludden, assistant teaching professor at Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies said this, “The truth of the matter is that all of us are seeking deeper connections not only in our personal lives, but from our professional colleagues as well.  Our ability to connect with each other on all levels of our consciousness will differentiate great leaders from being good managers.”