๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Due to its subjective nature and the importance of context, compassion and its effects cannot always be measured in numbers. Below I have pulled together some findings and stats that I find compelling, although I admit unconscious bias here, as (like you wouldnโt have already noticed) I am a strong advocate of fostering a compassionate culture. I have referenced the Emma Seppala and EY research projects in earlier posts, so have not included them here.
A study by management professor Sigal Barsade and Olivia OโNeill ran for 16-months at a long-term healthcare facility. This research found compassion in the workplace led to lower levels of employee absenteeism and burnout. The study also indicated that this culture enhanced employee engagement, teamwork, and satisfaction .
Research done by the Workplace Institute (2021) has found that 86% of employees feel they are not heard fairly or equally, and 77% want to give feedback more than once a year.
Engaging employees can lead to 18% more productivity and 21% higher profitability (Gallup 2017). Teams who score in the top 20% in engagement realise a 41% reduction in absenteeism, and 59% less staff turnover.
63% employees feel their voice has been ignored in some way by their manager or employer. 34% of employees would rather quit or switch teams than voice their true concerns with management.
Organisations are much more likely to perform well financially (88%) when their employees feel heard, engaged, and a sense of belonging.
78% of employees are eager to take part in surveys to share feedback with management, to be heard and to drive positive change in their organisations. Ironically, this stat was uncovered by a survey!
โDesigning Work Cultures for the Human Era,โ (SHRM 2018) on the importance of employee recognition finds clear and regular feedback to be critical. 64% agree their company is a good place to work when they are very or somewhat satisfied with how life events are celebrated in the workplace.
Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work (Salesforce 2017).
96% of employees believe showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention (BusinessSolver 2018).
61% of employees are burned out on the job (CareerBuilder 2017) and 31% report extremely high levels of stress at work. These findings emphasise the connections between wellness and engagement, and how stress undermines both.
89% of workers at companies that support well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work (American Psychological Ass. 2016), versus 17% where the leadership is perceived to be uncommitted to well-being.
87% of employees expect their employer to support them in balancing work and personal commitments (GlassDoor 2017).
So, all in all โ itโs nice to be compassionate and itโs compassionate to be nice.
I try to meet with, virtually or in person, lots of my business and coaching contacts, and I find this an effective way of keeping up to date with the latest relevant issues. It also helps to ‘ground’ me and encourage me to check in with my own work and approach. Along the way I have lots of discussions about leadership which inevitably entails wildly differing views and opinions.
Out of the proliferation of remote work during and after COVID, a new challenge for organisations has emerged: many important skills are not easily, or cannot be, nurtured through screens. In the traditional office environment, the subtle yet powerful process of learning osmotically plays a critical role. Leaders model behaviours, and employees, often subconsciously, absorb crucial skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and intuitive decision-making. Even resilience can be enhanced through witnessing other people’s coping mechanisms.
Reflecting on what I feel makes a leader truly great, I realise that leadership is generally misunderstood. It should not be about rank or authority;