Leading with Empathy through COVID
By: Hilary Jane Grosskopf
Tags: Collaboration, Covid 19, Leadership, Inclusivity, Teamwork

Leading with Empathy through COVID

How to coexist as a team with different perspectives on the virus.

Do you currently lead a team or work on a team? You’re lucky. Many people are currently job-less and looking for work. On the other hand, you have the difficult task of working with a team during a very challenging point in time. Though COVID seems to have peaked and declined, the US is still experiencing new waves of virus cases.

This global pandemic has different physical and psychological effects on each person. Everyone has a different perspective on the virus given their background, experience, and health. Teams of people, no matter their differing perspectives on the virus, must learn how to work together to make progress and move forward. This is why leaders must be especially empathetic during this time.

Empathy is one’s ability to understand what other people are going through, or to experience what other people are feeling. It’s a deeper state than compassion. When you lead with empathy, you put yourself in the other person’s shoes and mindset. It often requires a conversation and getting to know someone else to really understand their background and point of view. Sometimes you might not be able to completely understand what someone else is feeling and why — you’re not them!, so it’s understandable. However, then you must practice compassion and accept their point of view and how they feel.

Teams that work together each day, especially in a physical location, must be able to practice empathy and compassion at work. Some people believe that the virus is not too harmful, usually because it hasn’t impacted them “close to home” — they haven’t had the virus themself, or a relative or friends hasn’t had it first-hand. Other people believe that the virus is very deadly, and they are extra careful even to the point of neurotic.

How can leaders successfully lead a team of people with different views about this virus? How can team members successfully collaborate with other team members that feel differently about the virus and take different precautions?

Here are 4 ways that leaders and teams can work together to make progress, build an inclusive culture, and stay safe in these challenging times.

1. As a team, practice empathy and compassion.

Each team member is responsible for practicing empathy. The leader should lead by example on this by meeting with each team member to understand their point of view on the virus and why they feel that way. Team members can practice empathy by voicing their opinion about the virus in a concise and clear way in a team meeting (or through the leader), with a tone of equanimity. Give context as to why you feel this way about the virus and how other team members can help you feel safe and respected.

Next, listen to others. Listen to how others feel about the virus and respect their opinions, even if it doesn’t match your own. Take precautions to make others feel safe and respected. This might require adjusting how you work, but talk with your team members and your leader to establish an optimal solution (until there is a vaccine!). Your practice of empathy and mindfulness will show a lot about your character and you ability to serve as a leader now or in the future. As a leader, the team’s safety comes first. Optimize progress but don’t compromise safety.

2. As a leader, establish clear rules and communicate why.

It’s up to the leader to establish a set of working rules that makes work a safe yet productive place for the team. Whether you work remotely or in a shared physical location, the leader must establish ground rules for working hours, masks, travel, distancing, and more. It’s a lot of responsibility! Your central organization/company and the CDC provide helpful guidelines to follow. Use these resources and use your own discernment, based on your specific work environment and team, to come up with a clearly written set of ground rules related to the virus.

Also, after setting the ground rules, have a team meeting and explain why you decided on each rule. Allow the team to ask questions. Keep an open dialog with the team about the rules. It’s good to touch base at least once a week (but not too frequently) to realign on the rules and gather feedback. The seemingly drastic set of rules you might need to establish will dissipate when a vaccine becomes available. For now, be patient and respectful.

3. As a team, celebrate wins and positively acknowledge each other.

Without some positive motivation, this can feel like a very dark, stagnant time for many people. It feels as though there are more limits and work is slower given the restrictions due to the virus. To help boost morale, make sure to give positive acknowledgement to your peers and team members often! You can do this through e-mail or at a team meeting.

You can give positive acknowledgement by simply saying “thank you” for something someone did to help you. You can give positive acknowledgement by giving praise or feedback in a one-on-one meeting or team meeting. Celebrate your wins as a team, no matter how small or large. Focusing on individual and collective work milestones helps to unite around progress instead of feeling divided about the current circumstances. Focus on what unites you, not what divides you as a team. Make time for it on a regular basis.

4. As a leader, have regular one-on-one meetings with team members.

This is so important! Especially when working remotely or working in an irregular context, leaders forget to prioritize one-on-one meetings with team members.

One-on-one meetings with team members are a place to align on work priorities and individual responsibilities, gather feedback, and mentor. Use these leader-team member meetings as a way to stay connected and in tune with what team members are experiencing. These meetings are also a great time to provide mentorship, motivation, and positive acknowledgement. Make sure to have a one-on-one meeting with each team member each week. Don’t skip it!

I hope these suggestions help you, as a leader or team member, to see the virus as a temporary struggle that also provides an opportunity to take the lead. Practice empathy and compassion, even if you did not have to previously. The four suggestions I provided in this article are great practices to continue in all circumstances, not just during this challenging time. This is a call to become aware of these important capabilities and to embrace the need to practice these collaborative actions now and into the future.