The Gordian Knot for Employers in 2022
How to Untangle it Through Empathetic Leadership
This blog post is the final piece of a two-part series focused on the “gordian knot” for employees and employers in the coming year.
Part I focused on employees, where we explored:
the unique “gordian knots” that employees are facing, as their personal, professional, and generational issues have collided;
how these issues have manifested into the Great Resignation;
how employees can identify their gordian knot, untangle the interlaced issues at play, and create a thoughtful path forward.
Part II focuses on the gordian knot for business executives and leaders. Before we dive in, it’s important to know the legend of the gordian knot and how the metaphor came to be:
“A man - who would later be known as Alexander the Great - was tasked with unfastening a highly intricate knot. What had seemed to be an impossible task for centuries was solved when Alexander cut the knot with his sword. Since then, the Gordian Knot has been associated with bold solutions to complex problems.”
The Gordian Knot for Employers in 2022
As business leaders continue navigating the pandemic, many have learned that uncertainty has become the new norm:
Regulations around the pandemic are ever-changing, making it difficult to create consistency with in-office and remote work environments.
Working parents continue to struggle with childcare and school regulations.
Customer expectations are changing and intensifying across many industries.
Talent acquisition, retention, and improving the employee experience (EX) are now center stage issues. The Great Resignation has put employees in the driver’s seat. Businesses who can’t deliver on their expectations are more vulnerable than ever.
Digital technology is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have.” Adopting it means keeping up with the latest innovations and requires time and resources that many businesses can’t find.
These interlaced issues are harming business growth around the world. So what’s the solution? How do you “plan” for uncertainty? And how do you enable growth despite it?
Find the common thread (your people!) and use that as your starting point.
Untangling the Gordian Knot through Empathetic Leadership
I believe that a people-centric approach - rooted in empathetic leadership - is key, because employees are the lifeblood of any business. Prioritizing the health and well-being of your employees is not only the humane thing to do, but it’s a worthwhile business investment. When employees feel heard, valued, and have their needs met, they're more productive. And more productive employees lead to a better bottom line.
Many businesses have nailed this. They’ve surveyed their employees, listened to their needs, and taken action. Examples include:
expanding employee healthcare packages to the entire family
adding mental health benefits
empowering employees with the flexibility to choose where (and sometimes even when) they work. This one of course varies based on the industry and nature of the job, but strong leaders have still put employees first by making compromises to give them the flexibility they need.
Unfortunately, though, there are still far too many business leaders who believe that a people-centric approach is bad for business. This is a dangerous misconception.
What is empathetic leadership?
One of my favorite definitions of empathy comes from an article in Harvard Business Review by Jennifer Moss - a journalist, speaker, author of “The Burnout Epidemic, and leading strategist for healthier workplace cultures:
“ “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” she said. “But I don’t believe that goes far enough. If you authentically want to demonstrate empathy you have to ‘Do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.’ That requires stepping outside of your own needs, assessing and removing bias and privilege, actively listening to your people, and then taking action.””
Why does empathy matter?
The obvious answer is that it’s simply the right thing to do. But research shows it’s deeper than that:
Nearly one-third of employees wish organizations would act with more empathy.
74% of employees said they would work longer hours for an empathetic employer. That same study also found that employees believe empathy creates a better environment to work in, which increases their output and can reduce turnover, and that CEOs believe empathy improves their bottom line.
60% of CEOs believe their organizations are empathetic, while only 24% of employees agree.
How do you embody empathetic leadership?
1. Create a safe environment, both psychologically and physically.
There are many facets of a safe work environment. The most obvious one right now is following safety protocols related to the pandemic, but there’s more to it than that.
Examples of psychological safety:
Encourage open and honest communication, on both the organizational scale and with individual employees. Create opportunities for employees to share feedback, listen to their input, and act.
When something “bad” happens - like a misstep on a project or with a client - don’t jump to conclusions, speak without thinking, or act rashly. Show that you want to hear all sides of the story. Make your employees feel comfortable approaching you in both good and bad times.
Example of physical safety (which ultimately impacts psychological safety, too):
Enhance your benefits package and extend it to their families. When your employees show up for work each day and give you 8+ hours of their time 5 days a week, they don’t just want to know that they're safe within the confines of the office or their remote work space. Today’s employees are looking to their employers to help them feel safe in all aspects of their lives, including their family members. Listen to what employees are asking for in a benefits package, and deliver to the best of your ability.
2. Strive for open-mindedness and understanding - not to be “right.”
True empathy requires openness to all sides of a situation. Too often we default to “choosing a side,” but rarely does this solve conflict and enable productive change.
Justin Bariso, author of “EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence” and Inc contributor said it well:
““To feel and display empathy, it’s not necessary to share the same experiences or circumstances as others. Rather, empathy is an attempt to better understand the other person by getting to know their perspective.””
You may not always agree with your employees (same with your customers and clients), but showing your willingness to understand them helps build bridges instead of burning them. Making this adjustment to your leadership style may not happen overnight (coaching can help!) but it will eventually build trust, and trust goes a long way.
“In the not-too-distant past, trust was considered a “soft” corporate issue. Its connection to a company’s value was always there, but unclear. Not anymore. New Accenture Strategy research quantifies the impact of trust on your company’s competitiveness. And bottom line. Trust is anything but soft.” – excerpt from a 2018 study by Accenture Strategy
3. Create opportunities for internal growth and/or movement at your organization.
94% of employees would stay in their current role longer if they felt the organization invested in their professional development.
Without professional development opportunities, 67% of millennials say they would leave their current position.
Employees who report feeling a lack of support for their professional development are 3x more likely to be looking for another job.
More often than not, employees leave their manager, not their work. A mismatch like this is not uncommon, nor does it mean that the employee is unfit for a job at the company. Instead of focusing on what’s not working, shift your focus to what is working. What are the employee’s strengths? What are they most interested in? Are they open to learning something new or working with a different team?
Importantly, do not isolate growth discussions to annual performance reviews (a study found that one-third of employees say that performance reviews are unhelpful). Instead, make professional growth and development a more regular part of 1:1 check-ins with your team members.
4. Personalize your approach.
An empathetic leader knows that no two employees are the same. They strive to get to know their employees both inside and outside of the workplace to better understand their needs and goals. This ultimately enables them to create a more personalized experience for their team members, where each feels seen, heard, and valued. This also helps create psychological safety.
5. Be realistic with workloads.
When hours are long and expectations are high, taking a vacation/using PTO is often seen as the light at the end of the tunnel. Encouraging employees to use their PTO is certainly important, but it’s not a solution to mismanaged workloads. PTO is not a reward that employees need to “earn.” Employees should not need to burn themselves out in order to feel deserving of personal time and rest.
Have you ever had an employee work 15 hour days to compensate for taking time off? This is not a rite of passage or prerequisite for PTO. It’s a red flag.
Further, have you ever had an employee return from vacation yet not feel refreshed and recharged?
If either of these scenarios sound familiar, then there’s likely a workload issue at play. Be honest with yourself and ensure that the expectations you have for employees are actually realistic. If they are, then a conversation about efficiency may be needed. But if they’re not, the solution may be a reduction in workload or deadlines/timelines that are more feasible.
6. Reframe.
In a previous blog post, I wrote that when you consider the tight labor market, staggering rates of burnout, social issues, and many other challenges, it can seem like a recipe for disaster for business and HR leaders.
The operative word here is “seem.”
We all know that things aren’t always what they seem, and the challenges we’re facing now are no different. Empathetic leaders find a silver lining and rally their team around it. This can be a powerful way to enable positive business change and success.
Dr. Chris Mullen, Ph.D., executive director of UKG, said it well:
““Even though the economy is struggling, organizations have a tremendous opportunity to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic even stronger than before. By going back to the foundational needs that should form the basis of the employer-employee relationship — physical safety, psychological security, job stability, and flexibility — they will cultivate newfound trust and empathy.””
7. Take care of yourself.
Taking time to focus on yourself and creating your own work-life boundaries may seem counterintuitive to all of this, but it’s not. A people-centric approach does not mean neglecting your own needs. It’s actually quite the opposite and is important for a few reasons:
Your own happiness and health impacts how you show up for others. If you’re neglecting your own needs, it will eventually catch up with you and can result in resentment, short temperedness, and overall poor leadership.
It sets a strong example. Actions speak louder than words! Think back to when you were just a few years into the professional working world. If your boss gave you the option to take a lunch break, but they themselves never took one, would you? Hold yourself accountable to the same standards and practice what you preach!
It shows you are human. Too many people believe that being a leader is synonymous with martyrdom. No leaders - not even CEOs - are exempt from having personal needs and obligations outside of the workplace. Demonstrating boundaries can be a reflection of your priorities and life philosophy.
Self-care is not selfish. It’s an investment that will make you a better leader. Eat well. Exercise. Take your lunch break. Use your vacation days. Use a mental health day. Take that last minute half day to enjoy the snow day with your kids. Call it quits at 5pm or whenever the close of business is in your specific industry. Get proper sleep (because sleep deprivation can actually make you less empathetic!).
Interested in more personalized guidance?
Although what I’ve outlined above is a great starting point for any leader, every company (and its people) has unique challenges and nuances. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and want professional guidance in building a roadmap that feels personalized for you, let’s connect! You can contact me by clicking the button below. We can schedule a consultation and determine if I’m the best fit for your needs. Even if I’m not, I will point you in the right direction!