Why empathy is a source of transformation
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. We are all born with it. Some people use it more than others. Some people value it more than others. It is a key reason why the human species has developed to dominate the planet. Without it, we would be unable to operate in such a collaborative way.
The importance of empathy is growing. Why?
Carbon units
With the advancement of technology, especially artificial intelligence, suddenly we humans have to ask ourselves how we compete (scarcity mindset) or collaborate (abundance mindset) with ever more powerful technology. As carbon units (people), what is our competitive advantage or differentiator compared to silicon-based units (computers)?
Emotion is clearly an area where humans have an advantage that is likely to endure for some time. We need to maximise our innate ability to be emotional.
Education
Educational academics have been saying for quite some years that the current education system needs to transform. That it drives out creativity from students in favour of producing facsimiles of people to feed the industrial corporations. Business is business after all, no place for emotion.
However, the more progressive minds recognize that in an Industrial Era 4.0, mastering emotion is really important. This builds upon the work of the likes of Daniel Goleman who popularized Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the mid 1990s and Stephen Covey who introduced us to his Habits in 1999. More recent contributions from the likes of Professor Steve Peters with the Chimp Paradox and Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) with Hit Refresh help to keep up momentum on the topic. Even 200 top CEOs from the US have recently said that the purpose of corporations must go beyond just shareholder returns and must take into account the needs of a wider set of stakeholders.
We have had several decades of experiments with managing organisations through the heightened use of our humanity and not just scientific efficiency. Ask the folks who are part of an organization which practices high degrees of humanity (and yes, they still hit their numbers) and they are likely to give you a thumbs up ‘Like’.
Complexity
If the last polymath was Da Vinci, there is no hope for the rest of us to single handily master the complexity and diversity of the world we live in today. We are connected across the globe in so many different ways that we are more than ever dependent upon each other. We simply have to collaborate if we want to survive and thrive. That means interacting, not just with technology but with other human beings to a degree unnecessary in years gone by.
Demographics
The millennials and now Generation Z do not view authority in the way that previous generations did. They expect more from their authority figures. Command and control is less accepted and less effective. This means leaders must find better ways of connecting with those folks that they wish to represent.
Wealth creation
As the world becomes wealthier and this wealth trickles through society, it gives folks greater freedom as to who they spend their time with and who they work with. If you do not show empathy to others, why would they want to spend their time with you?
If empathy is becoming more important, how does it contribute to transformation?
Creating a transformation
Identifying an opportunity where transformation would bring benefit to consumers is the first step on the journey. Understanding consumers, their needs, their pain points, the missing moments of ‘wow’ are all easier to identify when you listen, understand and share the feelings of others. It is central to design thinking. It is central to partnering. Employing this depth of curiosity provides insights that other, less diligent and empathetic people miss. You are more likely to get a transformation of the ground if your approach it with empathy.
Implementing a transformation
A transformation is a movement. It is change ‘on steroids’. It requires the mobilization of people. It requires the need to continually energise them to overcome, what are likely to be very tough challenges. Doing this by appealing to their logic i.e. their mind, is a good tactic and necessary. On its own, it is unlikely to be enough. It is necessary to appeal to their hearts as well. This means connecting with people to create understanding, to share experiences, to build trust throughout the journey. We need to do change ‘with’ them and not ‘to’ them. We need to listen intently to our stakeholders, we need to understand them as deeply as possible. This will allow wise adjustments to take place on the transformation journey in good time and with the necessary buy-in.
By using our humanity, by accessing our innate empathy, our ability to transform society will improve. This means using our feelings. Of course, this is not so easy for everyone. We all have our experiences where feelings are seen as ‘soft’ and having no place in serious matters. That is far from reality, especially in an Industrial Era 4.0 setting. Maybe you are one of those people who already know this to be the case. If so, take a lead and share the message with others.
