You’ve got a wide variety of personalities you need to understand to manage a staff. Often, we tell ourselves that the only way to be a good manager is to “put ourselves in their shoes.” So, we attempt to sympathize with the people we manage. The dictionary tells us that “sympathize” is the action of agreeing with a sentiment or action.
How can you sympathize with a sentiment or action that you know is incorrect—especially if it puts a patient in jeopardy or causes financial damage? As a manager, you need to practice empathy, not sympathy. It’s similar, but there’s a different outcome. Empathy is the ability to understand—yet still disagree. Successful managers use empathy to lead through understanding. Here are ways you can use empathy:
Ask for Opinions
Empathetic managers know that they don’t always have all the information to act on a situation. Rather than ask someone what they know about a situation, ask them how they would handle it, instead. You’ll accomplish two things:
You often will find this approach helps you to uncover peoples’ areas of expertise, too. Use that to your advantage when it happens. Give them an opportunity to shine. Successful managers practice empathy as a way to gain a deeper understanding of how to motivate people.
Express Authority for the Right Reasons
There’s the obligatory “why”—which is not always voiced—when a manager assigns tasks and responsibilities. Successful leaders find they spend less time explaining the reasons driving management decisions when they demonstrate empathy.
In this case, they use empathy to understand why people want to know the reason for their selection. It becomes an easy explanation based on a simple equation. “I understand that you’re good at X, which is the reason why I’ve asked you to do Y.” It’s a motivational strategy, as well. You’re communicating that you want people to succeed by managing their ability focus on what they do well.
Laugh
You’re already aware of humor’s health benefits. There’s no official decree stating that managers must be forever serious. You cannot practice empathy without showing your lighter side. A smile is the universal sign of openness and receptivity. Make it your guiding principle. A sense of humor, along with openness and demonstrating fairness make a strong statement. It says, “I care.”
Technology that makes things easier for medical professionals and their staffs is the guiding principle behind the products Vitacon distributes. The vein finding technology used by the IV-eye portable, handheld vein finder is a proud example. Use this link to have a distributor contact you.
How can you sympathize with a sentiment or action that you know is incorrect—especially if it puts a patient in jeopardy or causes financial damage? As a manager, you need to practice empathy, not sympathy. It’s similar, but there’s a different outcome. Empathy is the ability to understand—yet still disagree. Successful managers use empathy to lead through understanding. Here are ways you can use empathy:
Ask for Opinions
Empathetic managers know that they don’t always have all the information to act on a situation. Rather than ask someone what they know about a situation, ask them how they would handle it, instead. You’ll accomplish two things:
- You’ll demonstrate that you want to understand things from their point of view.
- You’ll also discover what they know about a situation because it becomes the basis of how they explain their point of view.
You often will find this approach helps you to uncover peoples’ areas of expertise, too. Use that to your advantage when it happens. Give them an opportunity to shine. Successful managers practice empathy as a way to gain a deeper understanding of how to motivate people.
Express Authority for the Right Reasons
There’s the obligatory “why”—which is not always voiced—when a manager assigns tasks and responsibilities. Successful leaders find they spend less time explaining the reasons driving management decisions when they demonstrate empathy.
In this case, they use empathy to understand why people want to know the reason for their selection. It becomes an easy explanation based on a simple equation. “I understand that you’re good at X, which is the reason why I’ve asked you to do Y.” It’s a motivational strategy, as well. You’re communicating that you want people to succeed by managing their ability focus on what they do well.
Laugh
You’re already aware of humor’s health benefits. There’s no official decree stating that managers must be forever serious. You cannot practice empathy without showing your lighter side. A smile is the universal sign of openness and receptivity. Make it your guiding principle. A sense of humor, along with openness and demonstrating fairness make a strong statement. It says, “I care.”
Technology that makes things easier for medical professionals and their staffs is the guiding principle behind the products Vitacon distributes. The vein finding technology used by the IV-eye portable, handheld vein finder is a proud example. Use this link to have a distributor contact you.
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