Think of the last job listing you reviewed. If it was for process improvement it probably included some qualifications like this:
- “Must know Six Sigma”
- “Lead root cause analysis”
- “Comfortable with SQL and data mining techniques”
- “Able to navigate ambiguity to deliver business results”
What you probably didn’t see was,
“Must be able to understand and share the feelings of others.”
Yet, of all the above – your ability to empathize will yield more value in your day-to-day work than a SSBB ever will.
So today I want to make the case for empathy, and discuss three reasons why it is the most pragmatic skill you can possess, both in business generally but especially in the field of process improvement.
Three Reasons Empathy Rocks
Empathy is the Best Path to Create Change
You’ve got a clear vision, even some compelling data to back it up. Yet your organizational transformation keeps on stalling. It’s not because your colleagues are idiots, or because they just don’t “get it”. Most likely, it’s because you don’t “get” them. The art of change is 90% about understanding the motivations, challenges, and concerns of people you work with.
Before launching your next change initiative, take some time to map out your stakeholders.
- What on the top of their mind?
- What keeps them up at night?
- What big goals are they working toward?
Learning to quickly pick up on these queues will help you craft improvement plans that slide through corporate gridlock like butter (Bill wrote an awesome post on this btw if you’d like to dig deeper)
Empathy will Make You a Better Problem Solver
Analyzing a broken process is fraught with solution-limiting mind-traps. Early evidence biases you to a particular solution. You’ve probably seen issues or patterns like this before. Or maybe a stakeholder already “told you what the problem was” before you even got to look at the evidence yourself.
All these and more can preemptively narrow the scope of you analysis and limit the impact of your solution. The longer you can forgo jumping to a conclusion , the better your eventual analysis will be.
This is where empathy comes in.
Your ability to see the a problem from multiple angles will dramatically improve your ability to avoid red herrings and spot underlying issues. Rather than assuming a front-line worker was lazy or careless, you’ll ask “Why would a rational, well-meaning, and intelligent person make this mistake?”
Empathy is in Your Self-Interest
For the truly Machiavellian, building a strong empathetic muscle has one other big advantage, it’s better for you!
In “Give and Take” (one of my favorite airport-bookstore purchases) Adam Grant lays out the case for why thinking of others and putting their needs first isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the most pragmatic.
Our careers are marathons, and while a me-first mindset may get you ahead in the short term, data shows that it doesn’t lead to long-term success. Being aware of the needs of those around you will provide you with the opportunities to perform “five minute favors”. Acts that deliver high-value to others at a very low personal cost to yourself. These compound over time and help create a rich network of ties who will be rooting for your success and eager to help if they can.
I’m incredibly grateful for all the empathetic people in my life who frequently help me do and become more.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you’ve seen empathy play a role in career and business circumstances. Please share in the comments below!