An empathy problem in agency land
Gary Nissim, Indago Digital's managing director, on cultivating empathy in the workplace as a business imperative.
I read something last year that stopped me in my tracks. It was the results of a study into empathy in the creative, media and marketing industry called, ‘Different Shoes: the empathy project’ done by Mentally Healthy. It found that 86% of individuals believe that empathy is important in their organisation, but only 38% believe their employer values empathy.
As a business leader, I can say that I 100% value my people, but if empathy is important to so many individuals and so few of them believe their workplaces deliver it, it strikes me that we all have to do more than assume.
I can’t deny that there have been times that employees have told me they’re feeling the pressure of demands on them to make room for rush jobs, fielding calls out-of-hours calls or being spoken down to. Fortunately, it hasn’t been a common problem, but it’s certainly not unheard of.
People Work Harder When They’re Happy
There are benefits to prioritising people’s wellbeing that go beyond being a good human.
Happiness doesn’t just make people feel good – it also has a significant impact on productivity levels at work, as research from the University of Warwick shows but many other studies have been done that have come to the same conclusion.
In the Warwick Uni test, economists carried out several experiments. They found that happiness boosted productivity by around 12%.
One of the academics who led the study, Professor Oswald said: “Companies like Google have invested more in employee support and employee satisfaction has risen as a result. For Google, it rose by 37%… making workers happier really pays off.”
According to a recent Gallup survey, 50% of US employees surveyed perceive themselves as ‘quiet quitters’ (people who put no more effort into their role than absolutely needed to stay employed) and their disengagement doesn’t discriminate based on industry or age, it’s consistent across the board.
Over and above the 50%, 18% are considered ‘actively disengaged’ and aren’t afraid to voice their displeasure with their current place of employment – most likely meaning they’re already on the job hunt.
With skills shortages being one of the top challenges facing business owners today, fostering a workplace culture that retains people and keeps them engaged is a sustainable competitive advantage.
Beyond the Perks
Like many agency bosses, I offer perks to attract talent and reward the team, but what I know for sure is that it’s not enough. If it was, one in four employees globally wouldn’t be experiencing burnout symptoms despite the global market for corporate wellness being estimated at US$59.7b in 2020 and projected to reach US$94.4b by 2027.
While lunch time yoga sessions, Employee Assistance Programs and free seasonal fruit are great initiatives, they don’t address the feelings of always being on call, unfair treatment, unreasonable workload, low autonomy, and lack of social support that workers attribute to their distress and despondency (Source: The Burnout Epidemic, Jennifer Moss. HBR, 2021).
These are structural problems that arise from a lack of empathy.
Addressing these issues head on before they can result in burnout is something we can all work towards.
How to Demonstrate Empathy in the Workplace
There are a lot of ways to skin this cat, but these are a few of the vital ones.
Listening: Truly hearing out what others have to say, without interruption, and making an effort to see things from their perspective creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Using active listening, teams develop a stronger sense of cohesion and cooperation, and it can be a key to unlocking greater creativity and productivity.
Standards: Employees and clients should be aware of what’s expected of them, including setting clear deadlines, explaining the purpose of tasks, and being upfront about any changes or surprises. More on this further down.
Goals: When employees feel like they have opportunities for growth, they’re more likely to be invested in their work and to take pride in their accomplishments.
Acknowledgment: Let employees and clients know when they have gone above and beyond. Thank people for their hard work and be willing to listen to their suggestions and complaints (and to do something about them whenever it’s feasible).
Involvement: It builds trust and collaboration and reduces resistance down the line if you involve employees in business decisions that impact them. When people feel like they have a stake in the outcome, they’re more likely to be invested in the mission.
Connection: The importance of genuine human connection can get lost in our fast-paced, constantly connected, deadline-driven industry. to people — asking them how they feel, what they want, and what they think— may seem simplistic it prevents them from feeling like just another cog in the machine.
Compassion: Life can sometimes be messy – a sick child, a parent in the hospital, a family emergency – these are all things that can disrupt even the most dedicated employee’s work schedule. A lot has been said about the importance of workplace flexibility. And it’s true – when employees feel like they have some control over their work situation, they’re often more engaged, productive, and happy. Bonus annual leave, working from home options and birthdays off are brilliant, but what people tend to appreciate the most is flexibility and understanding when the chips are down.
Fostering a workplace with empathy takes time and effort, but it’s well worth it. When everyone feels heard, respected, and valued, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and to stick around for the long term.
Make a Commitment
Our solutions are a work in progress, but our first initiative is our Client-Agency Charter. Shortly after I read the Different Shoes report, I signed up to Mentally Healthy and committed to the standard they outline to help agencies “provide a safe and supportive workplace for the mental wellbeing of its people”.
Consider a Client/ Agency Charter
It’s a two-way agreement that covers things like contact hours, response times, cancellations and postponements, requests, deadlines, communication, respect and more. It explains what clients can expect from you, what they can contribute to set you up for success and, ultimately, how you can both keep consideration at the forefront of engagements and empathy at the partnership’s core.
Make it part of your onboarding process, so the standards are set and agreed upon from the get-go.
Can’t deny, I grappled with this. Would clients baulk at having to agree to a set of “rules” at the start of our partnership when we were still getting to know each other and feeling each other out? But the support for the charter has been overwhelming and, if anything, we’ve found clients are grateful for it. It demonstrates that we respect them and ourselves and if anything, I wish I’d done it sooner.
Team Treaty
This is a set of commitments that are made internally. They’re mutually agreed ground rules you can use to make sure everyone’s heard, included and provided with everything they need to thrive in their role.
Every workplace has these rules set out anyway, it’s just that often they’re unspoken so no one really knows for 100% sure what they are – especially new recruits.
A Team Treaty shines a light on shades of grey so everyone knows what expected of them and what they can expect of their colleagues.
Know Your Limits
It’s essential to create a workplace that values empathy and consideration. Employees need to feel know they’re cared for and that their work is contributing to something bigger than themselves. However, it’s also important to remember that empathy has its limits.
You can’t allow our emotions to get in the way of making decisions that are in the best interests of the company. When used correctly, empathy can be a powerful tool for building a successful business. When used incorrectly, it can hinder our ability to make tough decisions and move forward.
To be an effective leader is to balance the needs of your team with the demands of the business. This can be a difficult tightrope to walk, but it’s crucial for maintaining a healthy workplace.
The Burnout Epidemic Can’t Be Overlooked
Thanks to discovering the research done by Mentally Healthy and other organisations like them, I no longer assume everything’s fine because no one’s raising issues. Cultivating and maintaining an empathetic workplace culture that leads to fulfilment and growth has become an intrinsic part of how my agency operates and I’ve noticed that others are actively working to address workplace apathy and discord, too.
The burnout epidemic in our industry is real, and it is in every business leader’s power to do something about it. Let’s tackle the problem head on by taking workplace consideration, fulfilment and growth as seriously as any other business imperative.
Gary Nissim (right)
Gary Nissim is Indago Digital’s co-founder and managing director.
