Empathy can improve collaboration, morale, and employees’ stress levels — which is why making it a part of company culture is so important. To build a more empathic culture, start by thinking about your company’s social norms. How do employees generally act toward one another? Will empathy clash with what people are used to? For example, if your culture tends to reward aggressive behavior, empathy is probably going to be a hard sell. Then consider how you can highlight the behavior you want more of. When you see instances of empathy at work, recognize and applaud (and maybe even reward) them. Showing that you support kindness — especially with more than just words — will help it catch on. You should also identify “connector” employees, the people who naturally encourage team cohesion, and recruit them to your cause. New ideals are more likely to spread when there are both top-down and bottom-up efforts.
Adapted from “Making Empathy Central to Your Company Culture,” by Jamil Zaki
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