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Compassion seems to be an oxymoron in the corporate world. It is too philosophical to use in the world of business, let alone practice. Amidst performance reviews, project timelines, client presentations, the next “big deal”, downsizing, bottom line results – you hone c’s such as competition, client, commitment and may be a few others but there is no time to practice compassion.
Identified often as a feminine quality, its interpretation is restricted to ‘concern’. You practice it by exchanging pleasantries, enquiring about family, health and general well-being. Sometimes, these conversation starters or fillers get replaced by the ‘ask’. Reward and recognition are designed such that there is little room to practice meaningful compassion. Over the years, in my observation, I have found it difficult to bring compassion to practice or experience it enough at workplace.There are several examples of high performing leaders who jump straight to the ‘ask’. After all, a client deliverable demands – on your marks, get set go! Reward and recognition are tied in beautifully to targets achieved. No one is measuring a team burnout or the stress levels of direct reports! Why would one exhibit a behavior that one is not being measured for? Why would you practice ‘concern for others’ when no one else around is doing it?
The reason – it is important to practice compassion because this a quality intrinsic to all human beings. It appeals at the fundamental level of being a human. Compassion isn’t about being nice or exchanging pleasantries, it is about acting out of “concern for the well-being of others”. Tibetan scholar Thupten Jinpa defines compassion as “A mental state endowed with a sense of concern for the suffering of others and aspiration to see that suffering relieved.”
The most celebrated rulers across cultures, continents, religions were those who were compassionate. Those who not only understood the anguish and the pain of their subjects but also took action to alleviate it. Drawing out an example from Bollywood. For those of you who have watched the movie “Bahubali – The Beginning”; the reason Sivagami chose Amrendera Bahubali over Bhallaldeva because he shielded and protected his own countrymen throughout the war. Both were brave and fought valiantly, however, one chose to a thoughtful, compassionate approach of saving his people while the other was reckless.
The role of the king (or a leader) is not about treating his army (team) as a means to an end. It is not only about winning the war only but the “how” is important. In organizational context, it defines your culture and values. What distinguished Bahubali was compassion and hence his universal appeal and popularity in his country.
While a reel example might look unachievable, early this year, we saw a real-life example of compassion that was celebrated world over. After the unfortunate Christ Church shootings, Jacinda Arden came out to show the world what it means to be compassionate. Everything that she did – from condemning the attack, interaction with the survivors, post attack action plan was rooted deeply in compassion. When you saw the pictures that flooded the social media it was palpable that she felt the grief and was standing in solidarity when she said, “They are us”.
I am not sure if it was the ‘hubris syndrome’ or the ‘hustle’, but compassion is not a key leadership trait or organization culture element in corporate world. Though we need it more than ever. With a lack of role models, no reward or recognition in organization setting, this quality that is intrinsic to all human beings has over a period of time got pushed to the periphery.
The Harvard Business Review article defined compassion as a call to action. While empathy is about feeling others’ emotions and put yourself in the other person’s shoes, compassion is about contributing to the happiness and well-being of others. It can be a habit which if we commit to can improve employee well-being significantly. A conscious effort to build this as a part of organization culture can have a significant impact on employee productivity and morale. It addresses the overall well-being of employees. When employees’ feel safe and supported, there is a lot that you set them to achieve. You will create an environment that will promote innovation, risk taking and a direct impact on the bottom line.
Do not leave ‘compassion’ as a ‘soft skill’ to be handled by HR. As a manager, when you meet an employee, have a meaningful conversation about what where she needs help rather than asking the general question on well-being. Take action, don’t just leave at exhibiting intent.
What are your thoughts on building a compassionate work environment? I will be happy to talk about techniques one can use to build this as a part of your organization culture or leadership framework.