The most effective way to adapt in today’s world is through empathy. Empathy for yourself, for others, for the organization. In behavioral agility, systemic empathy is an extraordinary lever for cooperation and contributes to anticipation and innovation. Empathy to adapt increases your agility and in turn the agility of others!
Empathy is seeing through the other person’s glasses. Not to be confused with sympathy, which is to experience the emotions of the other. In a management role, empathy will allow you to increase engagement and mobilization, facilitate communication, and have a more positive impact on others.
Here’s how to develop your empathy to adapt and be more agile in your interactions with others.
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Empathy for you
I meet several leaders who adapt a lot to others and sometimes forget to take a step back from THEIR own reality. In other words, as a manager, you also need to take a step back from what YOU are experiencing.
To do this, I invite you to ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your reality now?
- What is expected of you?
- How do you feel?
- What do you need?
Take a moment and answer these questions. From experience, some expectations are not always clear. We think they are, but in the whirlwind, we don’t always take the time to really validate what is expected in a concrete way, in terms of deadlines and deliverables.
Another important thing is to state YOUR needs, not make requests. A need looks like security, comfort, clarity, time, etc. A request is more like: I need my boss to do this or that.
In other words, you can have control over your need, but not over an external request.
Empathy for others
Whether you are a manager or an employee, developing your empathy for others allows you to better understand, de-dramatize and adapt your communication and interactions.
- What is the reality of the other person at the moment?
- What are my expectations of this person?
- What are their personal and professional goals?
- How does this person feel?
The questions are a little different. Reality and expectations are key. A nuance is added to the goals in order to put personal and professional goals into perspective. Indeed, it can generate very beautiful conversations, discoveries, greater complicity and also, a moment of distance on the aspirations of the other and see how you can help each other.
Yes, empathy to adapt speaks to us of mutual aid.
There are also tips to develop your empathy, even if you don’t feel like it.
Empathy for the organization
The organization is an entity that also has needs. I invite you to do the following exercise for your team, the other teams you collaborate with and the company.
- What is the ultimate goal of this organization?
- What does the organization need in order to achieve its goal?
- What does she expect from me in terms of contribution in order to achieve her goal?
Your contribution to the organization is paramount. And so does his contribution to you. The more you help each other and the organization, the closer all parties can get to their respective goals.
What to do with the findings?
Once you have made these observations, I invite you to talk to a colleague or your manager. You can also do this exercise with your team members. Then you’ll define an element that you do very well and want to continue doing, an element to stop doing, an element to adjust, and an element to add.
If you realize that it is better to communicate differently, follow or revisit our online self-training on the subject.
Conclusion
Why is empathy for adaptation a key element of agility? Because if you recognize the goals, meaning, and needs of each stakeholder in your system, you’ll be able to create more value, for yourself, for others, and for the organization.