This awareness drives us to rethink how we do business, develop products and solutions, and collaborate within our organization. Thinking intersectionally about our coworkers and the systems present in our work environment clues us into the obvious and not-so-obvious realities of others. PerspectiveĪn empathetic mindset helps us think outside our frame of reference, gather and incorporate many perspectives, and make informed decisions. Our Interactive Guide for the Compassionate Leader can help you determine if you are taking the necessary steps to support your team members.

While it’s key for everyone to champion empathy in the workplace, leaders especially have a role to play in building a psychologically safe team culture.

We can see where we may have caused harm, like when we made an inside joke that caused some people to feel left out, and realize our own biases, like the way we felt about our coworkers tattoos. Empathy not only connects us to the “why” behind the behaviors and emotions of others, but it also helps us better understand our own actions. The more we get to know our colleagues, the more empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, we are able to show them.

flexibility: altering behavior patterns that are exclusionary and ineffective.

perspective: taking a broad and objective view of self and others.

empathy: sensing the emotions of others, including reactions to exclusion.

So what does bridge building look like practically? There are three crucial skills one can utilize to build bridges: That sounds simple enough, but many people feel stuck when thinking of ways to address exclusion and bridge boundaries with their coworkers near and far. Inclusion boils down to awareness of self, awareness of others, and bridging the gaps between.

Building a bridge 2021