How Compassion Will Transform the Way You Do Business

A new field of research is suggesting that when organizations promote an ethic of compassion they may not only experience a happier workplace but also an improved profits. I believe you can transform every aspect of your work (and life) with compassion.

Compassion Transforms Businesses

Imagine what life would be like all businesses practiced compassion. Imagine if we actually encountered customer-service people who had compassion for our problems. I know my best experiences have been when I have felt someone genuinely does care that I am frustrated, upset or disappointed, rather than simply saying “I’m sorry you’re having these problems” as they read from a script!

Compassion transforms customer service.

Imagine too what life would be like if you had compassion for your colleagues? People may be confused, stressed, overloaded, have a difficult situation at home, not be trained well or have a hundred other reasons for not performing the way you think they should. Compassion can transform your relationships with colleagues.

The best bosses I have ever had are those who really showed me compassion. They knew I had plenty of areas where I needed growth, but they still believed in me. They treated me with understanding and kindness when I made mistakes, and they worked with me to help me learn and supported me. I felt good about myself around them.

If you are a boss – do you think the people that you lead feel the way I did?

Compassion transforms leadership.

Maybe your life would change if you viewed everyone at work through a compassionate heart and treated them that way! Maybe they would miraculously turn into great colleagues and leaders and they would wonder what kind of personality transplant you had undergone!

Your mission this day is to be compassionate at work:

• Be selfless -Sincerely offer to help people and be understanding. If you see someone stressed and rushed, find a way to help them.
• Be gracious – Be patient, kind, tolerant, forgiving, give others the benefit of the doubt and just be kind!
• Get to know people – It is easier to be compassionate with others if you REALLY know them. Make the time to get to know your colleagues.
• Open up – How much do your colleagues know about you? Compassion is a two way street, open up and make it easy for others to get to know you.
• Be compassionate to yourself – Are you patient, kind and forgiving to yourself?

Zooties! Amanda

For more information, watch Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow,” Chade-Meng Tan, talks about how the company practices compassion in its everyday business.