A few months ago, the CEO of Basecamp (a popular project management software), sent a letter to his staff banning all “societal and political discussions” at work. Following the note, 30% of the staff quit, practically overnight. Oops. As it turns out, when you’re frustrated with employees being frustrated, it’s probably not the best tactic to force change just because you said so. Especially when it’s over a topic that has personal implications for them.
I loved the takeaway from the ice cube incident. Hilarious! But on a serious note, you are absolutely right. Empathy is one of the most critical leadership skills yet is not talked about. Worse, not even considered as important in most organizations. We need a lot more conversation about it to be taken seriously. Thanks for writing this!
I feel like empathy training should be a part of on-boarding.... just like DEI, security, privacy and all the other current on-boarding lessons. How come that's not happening?
I loved the takeaway from the ice cube incident. Hilarious! But on a serious note, you are absolutely right. Empathy is one of the most critical leadership skills yet is not talked about. Worse, not even considered as important in most organizations. We need a lot more conversation about it to be taken seriously. Thanks for writing this!
I feel like empathy training should be a part of on-boarding.... just like DEI, security, privacy and all the other current on-boarding lessons. How come that's not happening?
Good Stuff Jeff