Ever sent a message to say you’re too sick to come in, only to get a reply that’s short, transactional and completely devoid of any empathy? In workplaces where high IQ meets low EQ, moments like this can feel isolating and frustrating – especially when the emotional support you expect to come from your direct boss/manager seems absent.
If you’ve worked in an engineering firm, law office, consulting company, academia and research setting or finance and investment banks, you’ve likely encountered a no/low empathy, cutthroat culture at some point. These business settings are intensely focused on analytical thinking, prioritizing results and performance.
The Importance of Showing Empathy in the Workplace
- Empathy Improves Communication
- Empathy Promotes Creativity
- Empathy Helps with Conflict Resolution
- Empathetic Workplaces Have Lower Turnover Rates
- Empathy Enhances Trust
- Empathy Strengthens collaboration
- Empathy Boosts Innovative Thinking
Overall, this emotional awareness helps employees feel more connected to their work and the people around them, reducing feelings of isolation, frustration or helplessness that often contribute to work-related burnout.
Here’s how to navigate the cold dynamics of a work environment where intelligence trumps empathy, how you can show more emotional awareness and what you can do to protect your and your team’s energy and mental well-being.
1. Model Empathetic Behavior
You might be expecting empathetic behavior from your manager or your team, but let’s take a moment to reflect: when you were in a situation where someone else was vulnerable and showing their vulnerabilities, how did you react? A lot of times, we don’t fully appreciate the importance of empathy, until we find ourselves in a similar situation. However, you don’t need to be in an unempathetic situation to understand how it feels. Simply putting yourself in that situation mentally can be sufficient to give you insight on the amount of pain that lack of empathy can cause. How would you feel? How would you want to be treated? A kind word, a listening ear or even offering help can go a long way to make a difference.
2. Strengthen Your Listening Muscles
In her book, “You’re not listening”, Kate Murphy explains how our ability to listen has decreased over time.
Our capacity to listen (or listen with empathy) has declined due to several different factors, but technological development seems to be a major contributor. We live in a day and age where it’s difficult, or nearly impossible to go for 10 minutes without looking at our devices.
A lot of times, we think we’re listening, but listening with empathy goes beyond just nodding to signal we’re paying attention. Attentive, empathetic listening begins with being fully present, and that means putting away all distractions including your phone. Listen without judgement and interruption. Pay attention to the choice of words to find deeper meaning and subtle emptions that may not be explicitly expressed. Be open and understanding to people’s needs. Listen carefully, much like a physician listens to their patient.
3. Act Like a Mirror
This tip is a continuation of listening with empathy. Acting like a mirror is all about listening, speaking and relating. Paraphrase or summarize what the other person is saying to demonstrate that you’ve been listening. Ask clarifying questions but avoid asking direct questions or arguing with what the other person has to say. Even if the concerns are aimed at you, show respect and continue to listen. Mirroring allows the other person to build trust and feel like they’re being heard.
4. Be Mindful of Nonverbal Cues
Through active listening, you can pick up small, nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures or body language. Be on the lookout for signs of overwork or burnout: slumped shoulders, frequent yawning or sighing, fidgeting or restlessness, avoidance of eye contact and pausing more than normal when speaking can all be nonverbal behaviors when people are not directly saying what they’re struggling with. These cues give you a window into other people’s emotional state when showing empathy can make a huge difference in how supported people feel.
5. Empathy is More Than Lip Service: It's About Taking Action
Empathy is not just about saying you care or labeling yourself as an empathetic person. Words are meaningless without practical actions that demonstrate your support. Channeling empathy in action involves actively applying understanding, care and compassion towards others. It doesn’t require a massive amount of effort. Whether it’s emotional or practical, every small action counts. Sometimes, even a small check-in like a simple “How are you?” or “How was your weekend?” can show you care and willing to lend a hand if needed.
6. Recognition is Empathy
Acknowledging pain and stress is valuable, but acknowledging contributions is equally important in showing empathy. A simple verbal recognition like “your work on this project helped moved things forward” can make a huge impact on uplifting people and reinforcing their sense of purpose and value. Acknowledging contributions can be in the form of verbal praise or:
- Public recognition
- A personalized handwritten note
- Offering opportunities for growth
- Gifts or tokens of appreciation
7. Beware of Excess Empathy
Too much empathy towards others can be damaging with excess empathy devolving into apathy or burnout. A research study concluded that empathy when present at extreme levels and in combination with certain individual characteristics or within particular contexts can increase the risk for depression and anxiety.
Not only can too much empathy place a tremendous amount of stress on you, but it can also create pressure for others who may not want or need your empathy. Over-extending yourself emotionally, especially if someone isn’t asking for help or isn’t ready to open up, can unintentionally make them feel overwhelmed. It’s important to set, encourage and respect boundaries when expressing empathy. Sometimes, the most supportive thing you can do to demonstrate empathy is to give someone space and allow them to analyze the situation on their own.
Concluding Remarks
Environments that prioritize analytical thinking and achieving results can lack empathy, an emotional awareness that’s essential to employees’ mental health and wellbeing. By modeling behavior that encourages empathy, we can create a space where people feel trusted, supported and empowered to be the best version of themselves. Empathy not only enhances wellbeing at the individual level but also cultivates a culture of collaboration and innovative thinking, driving greater success for corporation as a whole. When empathy is integrated into the every aspect of an organization, everyone thrives.
