No matter how hard we work to do our best within our jobs there will always be occasions where we slip up and make mistakes. Sadly, many people are quick to find fault with themselves and can be incredibly critical of their efforts, creating a negative work environment that leaves them wanting to look elsewhere. How leaders respond in these situations can help to set the tone for the wider workplace and an emerging trend that focuses on compassionate leadership is helping to change the way that people see their mistakes.
What is a Compassionate Workplace?
A compassionate workplace is a professional environment that focuses on providing positive interactions that are supportive and understanding, enabling employees to feel confident about sharing concerns or errors they have made. One of the key aspects of a compassionate workplace is encouraging self-compassion in employees, helping individuals to accept mistakes and find ways to learn from errors rather than feeling like they have failed.
How Can Leaders Create a Compassionate Culture
Being more compassionate as a leader is a great start to creating a compassionate workplace, however, this is just a starting point and needs to be supported with a range of other interventions to be able to change the current culture. Some of the best ways to promote a more compassionate outlook include:
- Actively and openly encouraging mindful contemplation and self-compassion.
- Provide training in compassion and self-compassion to educate your teams on how you want to move the company forward.
- Leading by example and taking a compassion-focused attitude towards work that is being completed.
- Reviewing policies and procedures to ensure a compassion-focused ethos is properly embedded into work systems.
By working to create a compassionate workplace you will ensure that your teams feel valued and supported, motivating them to want to do their best for you. Many life science leaders have been taught to believe that an empathetic leader is one that can be taken advantage of but this is not true as compassion is an ethos, not an excuse that employees can use when they consistently fail to achieve the outcomes they are employed to produce.
What Happens When You Lead with Compassion?
The great thing about a compassionate workplace is that there are many positive benefits that will help individual employees and the wider workplace environment, including:
- Reduced staff stress levels that lower the number of sick days that employees take.
- Improved commitment to the workplace due to improved feelings about the organization.
- Increased wellbeing across the organization with people feeling more motivated and supported.
- Higher turnover of work due to reduced sickness and improved motivation.
- Higher levels of compassion for each other, enabling stronger connections between employees and leaders.
Interestingly, in a report conducted by the Washington Post, 77% of employees confirm that they would be willing to work longer hours for a more compassionate leader and 92% of HR experts state that compassionate workplaces are more likely to retain staff than those that don’t take a compassionate approach. This makes it clear that the benefits of changing your approach could have a significant impact on your company’s success.
Find the Next Generation of Compassionate Leaders with Our Help
If you are keen to change the culture in your company to one that is more compassionate and supportive then it could be time to think about how you recruit your leaders. At GeneCoda® we take pride in sourcing outstanding candidates for your roles so that you can drive your company forward and develop a culture to be proud of. Reach out to us to find out exactly what we can do to help you!