Welcome to our preview of the latest episode of the Compassion 2.0 podcast. This week we highlight Part 2 of Lori Schwanbeck’s conversation with compassion at work pioneers professors Jane Dutton and Monica Worline. (For information about Part 1, as well as more about Jane and Monica, click here.).
Diving straight into the business case, it’s clear that building compassion into the organization is a “smart part of any leader’s agenda.” The evidence shows the powerful effects of compassion across multiple sectors.
In hospitality and other customer-facing verticals, more compassionate work environments positively boost client retention and engagement. For care provision sectors like health care and insurance, compassion translates into healthier and safer clients. These client-centric outcomes are a reflection of more compassionate workforces, and the individual and organizational benefits that arise as a result.
The compassion effect on knowledge workers is also significant, and can be especially strong in technology and financial services sector examples cited in the conversation. Hear how Monica acknowledges that while failure is part of Silicon Valley’s innovation culture, it still “sucks” to fail, and how compassionate environments support more risk taking.
Jane beckons us to think about organizations as organisms, which inevitably get wounded, just like our bodies. She posits that compassion as a healing force is the secret ingredient for organizations that are able to build resilience and rebound quickly.
Lori asks, are organizations ready for this? What is lacking to make compassion more widespread in organizations? Has COVID-19 changed the landscape?
Jane notes that over her 40-year career of teaching business students, never has there been more hunger for this message. And then Monica adds a reality check about the biggest obstacle in the way. Listen to see if you agree.
Lastly, the roles of vulnerability, courage, and wisdom are examined as important parts of the compassion equation in organizations.
You can find the Compassion 2.0 Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or listen on the Compassion2.org website. Please subscribe so you can be notified for the next episode with Norbu Wangchuk, author of the Gross National Happiness Philosophy in the schools of Bhutan.