Ep 36 When Empathy Backfires at Work and How to Fix It

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dive into the complexities and unexpected challenges of empathy in the workplace. They explore how empathy, while important to connect people during challenging times, can sometimes backfire. EMpathy’s errors include unintentionally sidelining an employee’s concerns, downplaying the true pain of our experiences, and jumping too quickly into problem-solving mode. Through compelling stories and examples, Cindi and Geoff talk about how well-intentioned  empathy can go astray and they offer practical strategies to get our empathy back on track.

 

Episode Highlights:

• Understanding when sharing our stories can unintentionally take the oxygen our of conversations and ways to prevent it.
• The importance of sense-making and listening in delivering empathy.
• Common empathy missteps and how to avoid them.
• Practical advice for managers on providing the right level of support.
• How to improve our empathetic responses to build trust and cohesion.

 

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