Importance Of Empathy As A Business Skill | Top B-School

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Importance of Empathy As A Business Skill

26 Sep 2022
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“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

~ Atticus in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.

Empathy is being recognized as a key business skill in the corporate world. It is an important competency for leadership and drives significant business results. The foundation of any business is essentially human and business leaders are recognizing the value of putting aside prejudices, and appreciating how others think and what their needs and desires are.

However, the practice of empathy in business is a conundrum when combined with driving competitive performance. It is about organizations striking a balance between adopting an empathetic approach to business along with driving growth and profitability in competitive markets. Organizations need to invest in systematic training and empowering their managers to nurture their teams with empathy.

While achieving a balance is often time consuming and requires a vision, the pursuit of empathy differentiates organizational effectiveness in the long run. Empathy has significant advantages in business both internally and externally, not only with employees but business partners and customers as well.

Organizational culture and core beliefs that will keep organizations grounded in the long run despite the rapidly changing landscape and one needs to adapt systems and processes to remain relevant, survive and grow in the long run.

Summary

Empathy is being recognised as a key business skill in the corporate world. The practice of empathy in business is a conundrum when combined with driving competitive performance.

What Is Empathy?

The practice of empathy is built on appreciating, interacting and sharing experiences of others. It encourages people to move away from their individual experiences to experiences of others with whom they interact. As Mary Torrans Lathrap once said in her poem titled “Judge Softly”- “Walk a Mile in His Moccasins.” In the business context, the understanding and use of empathy has assumed importance and business leaders are scaling up empathy to foster innovation, engagement, loyalty and diversity. Embedding empathy into the culture of the organization is vital and needs to be embraced from the boardroom to the shop floor to the external communities.

Summary

In the business context, the understanding and use of empathy have assumed importance and business leaders are scaling up empathy to foster innovation, engagement, loyalty, and diversity.

Why Is Empathy Not The Same As Sympathy?

Empathy is often misunderstood to be the same as sympathy. However, the key difference between the two is that empathy is a shared experience. This requires shedding the judgmental and perceptive outlook and experiencing others’ feelings alongside them. Sympathy, on the other hand, is an individualized experience where one just feels for the other without being a part of the experience.

Empathy enables one to connect with others by being able to identify and understand their thoughts, perspectives, and emotions. It further entails a demonstration of understanding with intention, care, and concern. Broadly, the process of empathy can be further divided into:
- Cognitive Empathy – The ability to understand how a person feels and what they could be thinking
- Emotional Empathy – the ability to share the feelings of other
- Behavioral Empathy – This actually goes beyond understanding others and sharing their feelings
Summary

Empathy enables one to connect with others by being able to identify and understand their thoughts, perspectives, and emotions. It further entails demonstration of understanding with intention, care and concern. Broadly, the process of empathy can be further divided into…

What Is The Role of Empathy In Business?

In a technology world and social media driven world, businesses are required to be responsive to the needs of their customers and employees. The corporate universe is rapidly evolving to a space that is immediate, intimate, and interactive. Empathy is a vital part of corporate culture, both internally and externally.

Externally, developing empathy can help the organization to develop and market products/ services for customers. This requires an exercise of observing how customers use products, interacting with them to understand their needs and wants, and then building on ideas. Organizations should be looking at their customer’s perspectives to avoid being disrupted by their businesses.

Internally, empathy can take various forms. It is often overlooked due to a statistical approach rather than an emotional one, it requires a deeper understanding of people and what inspires them. Employees and co-workers need understanding, support, and a realization that everyone has different challenges to surmount. Connecting with co-workers, understanding their personal situations, listening to their viewpoints, and a respect for who they are is vital to building empathy within the organization. When workers feel that their voices are heard and hold weight, the building blocks of an integrated, inclusive, and empathic organization are in place.

Summary

Empathy is a vital part of corporate culture, both internally and externally. When workers feel that their voices are heard and hold weight, the building blocks of an integrated, inclusive, and empathic organization are in place.

Benefits of Empathy In Business?

As organizations realize the crucial aspects of human traits in the workplace, empathy is now embedded in the business culture. Some of the incredible benefits that empathy offers in the business setup can be –
1. Heightened belongingness amongst workers:
2. Increased brand reputation as an employer
3. Better employee retention and lower attrition
4. Fosters collaboration among and between teams
5. Ensures better customer service and customer loyalty
Summary

As organizations realize the crucial aspects of human traits such in the workplace, empathy is now being embedded in the business culture. Some of the incredible benefits that empathy offers are…

How To Practice, And Improve Empathy In The Workplace?

Improving empathy at the workplace requires a concerted effort from the leaders in pushing past boundaries and open up to others. This requires one to
- Critically Evaluate Oneself – This is required to break down bias that stems from a lack of knowledge or experience.
- Undivided And Uninterrupted Attention – Empathy requires an approach that allows one to fully digest the thought of others. This conveys respect and consideration and is a vital part of empathy.
- Ask For And Appreciate Feedback – This fosters an inclusive approach to work and encourages co-workers to come up with conflicting viewpoints. It helps the leader to introspect and build inclusivity in his actions.
- Appreciate Others’ Points of View – This helps to build on diversity and break down bias. Besides, it helps in strengthening working relationships and demonstrates respect for others’ points of view.
- Patience And Composure – Ultimately, a calm and patient approach helps to build trust and solidarity amongst the workers and customers.
Summary

Improving empathy at the workplace requires a concerted effort from the leaders in pushing past boundaries and open up to others. This requires one to…

To Conclude

As workplaces change radically and dynamically, it is critical to realize that, at the end of the day, they are run by humans and an effective ability to empathize is important to the success of the business.

Bringing the practice of empathy and integrating it into the culture of the organization will deliver effective benefits to the business. At the end, the long-term survival and strategic growth of the organization will be driven by humans and not pure technology.

The two-year MBA – Post Graduate Diploma in Management PGDM in Design thinking offered at SOIL Institute of Management is a path-breaking management programme that helps tomorrow’s managers to learn more about the value and practice of empathy in business.

The two-year MBA – PGDM in Design thinking diverges from the conventional MBA and integrates designed management learning that is practical, multi-dimensional, and user-oriented. Students have the opportunity to learn creative and innovative approaches that are built on soft skills such as empathy and help in building trust and influencing people. In the end, learning more about these skills is as valuable for the management professional as “calculating valuations and debt to asset ratios”.

The world-class curriculum at SOIL empowers and inspires young leaders to take on the challenges of managing, collaborating, and adapting with a different perspective. Integrating Design Thinking, Management, and Liberal Arts to unleash the creative potential of students will help create truly well-rounded, future-ready leaders.

Summary

Bringing the practice of empathy and integrating it into the culture of the organization will deliver effective benefits to the business. In the end, the long term survival and strategic growth of the organization will be driven by humans and not pure technology.

FAQs
What is empathy?

In the business context, the understanding and use of empathy has assumed importance and business leaders are scaling up empathy to foster innovation, engagement, loyalty, and diversity.

Why is empathy not the same as sympathy?

Empathy enables one to connect with others by being able to identify and understand their thoughts, perspectives, and emotions. It further entails demonstration of understanding with intention, care and concern. Broadly, the process of empathy can be further divided into –

Cognitive Empathy

Emotional Empathy

Behavioural Empathy

What are the benefits of empathy in the workplace?

As organizations realize the crucial aspects of human traits such in the workplace, empathy is now being embedded in the business culture. Some of the incredible benefits that empathy offers in the business setup can be –

Heightened belongingness amongst workers:

Increased brand reputation as an employer

Better employee retention and lower attrition

Fosters collaboration among and between teams

Ensures better customer service and customer loyalty

How to practice, and improve empathy in the workplace?

Improving empathy at the workplace requires a concerted effort from the leaders in pushing past boundaries and opening up to others. This requires one to

Critically Evaluate Oneself

Undivided And Uninterrupted Attention

Ask For And Appreciate Feedback

Appreciate Others’ Points of View

Patience And Composure

What are the reasons for pursuing a PGDM program?

Post Graduate Diploma in Management is meant for students straight out of college looking for a management career, or professionals with an experience of around two years wanting to advance their career prospects. The idea of the PGDM program is to integrate learning and exposure across all functional areas and also increase awareness. The sole aim of the PGDM program is to develop a well-rounded personality that is ready to take on the rigorous business world.

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Summary

What is empathy?

Why is empathy not the same as sympathy?

What are the benefits of empathy in the workplace?

How to practice, and improve empathy in the workplace?

What are the reasons for pursuing a PGDM program?

Never miss a beat. Get Blog updates regularly in your inbox

PGDM Batch 2025-27 Orientation Start Date - 20th June 2025

What is empathy?

Why is empathy not the same as sympathy?

What are the benefits of empathy in the workplace?

How to practice, and improve empathy in the workplace?

What are the reasons for pursuing a PGDM program?

Never miss a beat. Get Blog updates regularly in your inbox

PGDM Batch 2025-27 Orientation Start Date - 20^th June 2025