Has the Empathy Bucket Run Dry?
The COVID-19 pandemic saw empathy succeeding in the business world, with many business owners prioritising people over profits, focusing on the well-being of their employees in the face of physical loss.
However, recent times have shown a steady decline in empathy.
As the world grapples with the financial aftermath of the pandemic, we can see a shift towards profit-centric behaviour. This economic squeeze has led to unrealistic financial demands from business owners and shareholders, often at the expense of employee well-being.
This means that leaders and businesses are now naturally concentrating more on themselves than the overall health of their businesses.
The focus has shifted from people to profits, from 'we' to 'me.'
The once-overflowing empathy bucket now appears to have sprung a leak. Some decision-making factors we have observed:
Less people, more profit
In specific industries, mass layoffs, while sometimes necessary, now primarily serve to secure dividends, underscoring a profit-driven mindset replacing empathy.
This is ultimately leading to a need for more psychological safety for both leaders and staff.
Love thy neighbours or not so much
A siege mentality has emerged recently, perpetuated by politicians and political parties, urging individuals to prioritise themselves over less advantaged members of their communities and the world.
It is disheartening to witness this shift as people become more self-centred, forgetting the spirit of togetherness and compassion prevalent during the pandemic.
Filling up the bucket
We all hope for an economic upturn to arrive sooner rather than later, serving as a timely reminder to business leaders that there are better ways to behave.
Prioritising empathy, understanding, and the well-being of employees and society can fill the bucket back up (hopefully).
Financial worries cloud this post-pandemic world, and maintaining a balance between financial success and empathy is crucial, benefiting both businesses and society.
As Simon Sinek stated this week, to achieve infinite results, we have to switch from asking what is best for me to what is best for us.
Empathy has to remain an enduring source of inspiration for positive change if we are to lead in a people-first way.