One of the most synergistic collaborations I’ve experienced was in co-writing this research paper with Hilary Lee. It became the Winning Paper (Asia Pacific) in Roffey Park’s “Human Aspects of the Future of Work” Research Paper Competition (2019).
What worked well was our shared vision for a world in which people experience the workplace in a much more life-giving way; both of us doing in-depth interviews so we could both use our direct understanding of people’s experiences and perspectives to enrich our writing: using our complementary strengths in analysing, organising and then ideating ways forward. It was intense, fun and resulted in something we were fulfilled with.
We did literature research as well as interviews with 17 respondents.
Here are some excerpts:
“Our ability to feel – emotionally, physically, intuitively – sets us apart from any software, hardware or code built by humans (... )we need to get back to basics and relearn some of the human ‘powers’ we relinquished as we increased technology’s stranglehold on our lives.” – General Manager of a PR Company
A senior vice president of a media company said:
“Private sector companies…have the ability to set trends, begin movements, set a transformation into motion,…impact more companies in that sector, educate and influence opinion leaders and when scaled they can impact governments.”
When asked which aspects and needs of humans respondents feel are under-recognised in workplaces across Asia today, our respondents summarised a range of opinions, formed through years of working in the region.
Appreciation, empathy, willingness to help the underdog, and demonstrating genuine care for others in the organization. – Executive Coach
Spirituality, agency and power, socio-emotional selves – The Programme Manager at an Educational Institution
One of our interviewees was Shirley Woon, a counsellor whose clientele included young working adults in Singapore and she said:
“the amount of work that is thrown to (young adults) is just enormous…they are not able to manage. So they end up working long hours and it takes a toll on them mentally “.
We finally honed it down to empathy as a foundation for the workplace of the future for both human and business survival:-
- Innovation – Without understanding the needs of others, we cannot come up with ideas that solve problems in fresh ways. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, has said, “The source of innovation comes from having a deep sense of empathy” (reported by Tan, 2019 in Marketing-Interactive.com). He was featured in Fast Company magazine (McCracken, 2017) for having used empathy and collaboration to engineer a USD$250 billion turnaround there.
- Collaboration – This is going to be increasingly important in an age of innovation and complex change. And empathy is key to ensuring diverse parties understand and respect each other’s differences as well as similarities, for optimal synergy.
- Customer and Employee Experience – To attract and retain both these groups, organisations need to intimately understand what they need and serve those needs.
Our respondent, a Trends & Futures consultant said:
“The role of empathy will be absolutely critical – it guides growth of talent and the creation of people-centric brand experiences and solutions. …The diversity of the region and growing income gaps makes empathy even more valuable – to both understand people as employees and as customers.”
The SVP of a Media company identified that empathy is what underlies many of the issues organisations must look at when dealing with people issues:
“In solving issues, conflicts, managing people, mental health, diversity, inclusion, providing work-life balance, equal opportunities – all these issues will need empathy to recognise, manage, solve and lead.”
We offered the idea of the workplace as a community of transformation and wellbeing and a 5-point plan to expedite change:
- Build on existing communities of authentic Asia-based leaders who are standing up and shaping change.
- Mean better business with more meaningful metrics.
- Transformational Leadership Development
- From Human Resources to Business Wellness Advisors
- The Asian Workplace as a crucible for mindful learning, wellness and evolution
You can read our report here. It seems even more relevant now, although it was published a few years ago.
My wonderful co-author, Hilary’s current work can be found at Sundial Studios.
I currently offer a two-day programme on Empathy at Work through the Singapore Management University. Contact us to learn more about the programme’s fit with your needs and we’ll connect you with SMU if you’re keen to proceed. We need a minimum of 10 confirmed participants in a class. More information can be found here.