Back To Work? Why Being An Empathetic Colleague Matters Now More Than Ever

Words by Mimi Nicklin

It is said that in many a crisis, opportunity is found. The socio-economic impact of Covid-19 means that today, across the globe, people are looking for more authentic and connected leadership and teams than ever before. So much has changed in the months that have passed, and our thinking about the world of work, particularly empathy in the office, is just one of them. We have proven ourselves; to be efficient, to be relied upon, to be connected and consistent, all from disparate corners of our cities. We have proven a new model is not just possible, its necessary.

Whilst we may miss the energy of our offices, our colleagues and the consistency, many of us have also redefined what’s really important to us within that working environment. Anything that resembles autocracy, mediocracy or toxicity in the workplace suddenly seems like a distant daily reality that, quite frankly, we are no longer willing to go back to. Lockdown created time in our days, and space in our minds, to reconsider what really counts. We realised that beyond the rewards, the promotions and the hours that make us our money, connectivity, cohesion and comradery matter. They matter a lot.

There is much discussion about the need for greater levels of emotional intelligence, humanity, and empathy once the pandemic has passed; the world has now seen things in a new light, and our connected humanity is more important than ever. Without a doubt, the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 will long outlast the health impact, and it is in the leverage of emotional intelligence, and specifically empathy, that organisations and teams will be able to rebuild with pace and resilience. The conversation about empathetic influence and conscientious leadership was relevant before the virus swept our planet. Now it is critical.

Our new reality as we return to the office demands for more conscientious thinking and a far more balanced relationship between the members of an organisation. It isn’t just the planet and our societies that need regenerative thinking today, we also need regenerative relationships in our teams if we are to inspire our teams to truly thrive.

Mimi Nicklin is an experienced Empathetic Leader and Business Coach. For over fourteen years she has been working across the globe with her clients to lead business and culture change. Mimi is driven by the pursuit of bringing conscientiousness to the role and impact of leadership, with a desire to make the world of work a more empathetic, valuable and sustainably healthy place to be. Having lived and worked in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Dubai, Mimi’s uniquely global perspective changes organisations from the inside out.