Practicing EMPATHY is DIFFICULT
🟣 There are many injunctions to DEVELOP MANAGERS’ EMPATHY, ie their ability to UNDERSTAND the EMOTIONS OF OTHERS (feel them, describe them, name them, etc.). Employees, relayed by HR, make it a development priority for management.
It seems to me that we too often forget to mention that empathy is a difficult and tiring activity. Choosing empathy is a cost-benefit trade-off that does not always lean in the right direction.
It’s like sports. We may know that it is for our good, it is often difficult to get started!
Therefore, we better understand the importance of an executive coach. As in the case of a physical activity, where the sports coach will help a person go through the effort to experience the benefits of fitness exercises, the executive coach will help the Leader to make the necessary and gradual efforts to develop his “MUSCLE” of EMPATHY and feel the benefits on their professional relationships. Without a coach, it’s possible, but it’s much harder. And most give up…
🟣 What do you think of my analysis? I would be happy to discuss this with you…
🟣 To learn more, I invite you to read Katie Bohn’s article, in “The empathy option: The science of how and why we choose to be empathetic“, Penn State.
ANTOINE LEYGONIE-FIALKO
International Executive Coach and Consultant
Antoine Leygonie-Fialko is an International Executive Coach, ICF certified at PCC level, specializing in supporting international leaders "Towards CLEAR, CALM, CARING and POWERFUL thinking".
He is the founder of the CO-CREATiVE Communication® and the company CADRAN which operates globally. Previously, he managed 7 companies, from start-ups to corporate, in France and internationally (Europe, Asia, America, Africa), in various industries (construction, architecture, internet, HR…).
Today, with more than 2,000 hours of Executive Coaching, he works remotely with international leaders and their teams who want to unleash the power within their singularity in front of strong challenges requiring them to get out of their comfort zone & known mental frameworks.
