What Makes for a Culture of Care?
Supportive connections make things thrive. This is true of trees, and neurons, and dolphins -- all living things, really. It's true, too, of individual employees, work groups, and businesses of all sizes. On the other hand, without supportive connections, things falter, fade, and wither. In business, this looks like problems with morale, engagement, retention, performance, and revenue.
I've spent years researching the makings of compassionate connections in human lives and groups. In the last several decades, research on compassion in organizational life has grown by leaps and bounds. And definite patterns have emerged!
Compassionate workplaces are ones where people (especially leaders) notice, empathize with, and respond to others' stresses and struggles in supportive and caring ways. I have determined that there are five essential elements that all compassionate organizations share.
I've spent years researching the makings of compassionate connections in human lives and groups. In the last several decades, research on compassion in organizational life has grown by leaps and bounds. And definite patterns have emerged!
Compassionate workplaces are ones where people (especially leaders) notice, empathize with, and respond to others' stresses and struggles in supportive and caring ways. I have determined that there are five essential elements that all compassionate organizations share.
Element #1: Awareness
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Awareness means seeing overwhelm. Leaders “get” the challenges, workloads, pressures, and strains employees are experiencing. Even if they cannot ease the burden immediately, they communicate that they are tuned into the stress, and they appreciate the efforts employees are bringing.
Awareness means understanding needs. Leaders are aware of what employees need to feel competent, engaged, productive, and happy at work. Awareness means remediation. Leaders want to know when people are uncomfortable, unhappy, or needing a change in their work. When employees express discontent, they know they will be heard out, and that if remedial action can be taken, it will be. |
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Element #2: Connection
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Connection means vulnerability. Leaders are open (thoughtfully and appropriately, of course) about their own emotions. This is especially true during times of difficulty, stress, overload, or uncertainty.
Connection means kind expressions. Leaders ask how employees are doing, and check in on their emotional wellbeing. Words like care, empathy, kindness, concern, compassion, support, and wellness are part and parcel of peoples’ language. Connection means mentoring. Leaders spend valuable time with those they lead—getting to know them, assisting them, encouraging them, and investing personally in them. |
Element #3: Inclusion
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Inclusion means respect. Employees are treated with dignity and given the benefit of the doubt. Work is a place they feel honored, valued, appreciated, and part of a greater whole.
Inclusion means belonging. People know that work is a place that welcomes their full humanity. They do not need to cordon off parts of themselves to function and fit in. Inclusion means fairness. People aren’t second guessed, sidelined, or made invisible. Everybody presumes their own importance/value, and that of others, so that each person brings their best foot forward. |
Element #4: Grace
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Grace means a bearable workload. Expectations for workers’ productivity, performance, hours, and pace are within a reasonable limit. People are certainly challenged, and held accountable to high standards of excellence. But they aren’t expected to go “full throttle” all the time.
Grace means boundaries. Leaders respect employees’ work hours, multiple commitments, and workloads. When people take time off, their boss does not contact them with work requests, or expect them to be communicating regularly. Grace means self-kindness. When mistakes are made, people resist the urge to hide, blame, self-castigate, and insist on perfectionism. There is the sense that, “Mistakes happen, we’re only human. It’s alright, let’s just try again, we got this!” |
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Element #5: Support
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Support means backing: When challenging, risky, confusing, or otherwise difficult situations arise at work, employees know and trust that leaders “have their back.” Because they know their leaders are in their corner, employees can “give it their all.”
Support means flexibility: When things don’t go as planned—or when special stresses, challenges, or pains arise in employees’ lives—managers and senior leaders show bendability, creativity, and resourcefulness to allow appropriate time and space for regrouping and recalibrating. Support means trust: When employees suffer a big stress or tragedy in their personal life, they trust that work is a place they will be met with support and care – both personally, and policy-wise. |
P.S. Interested in learning about ways to grow compassion in your organization's culture?
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Click below for details.