Hasan’s HR Cheat Codes - Empathy

The first skill I learnt in my HR career was ‘empathy’. 

Having just joined the HR department of a large retailer, my first week was a real baptism of fire.  I had to help prepare the consultation paperwork for three store closures (as part of a massive restructure) and handle all the enquiries coming into the team.  

Some people had questions about the process, and others were understandably upset about their situation – they didn't hold back with their frustration, resentment and anger.  We were the front line for it, and it was totally understandable.

No matter how busy I was, or how hard the team worked to do things in the right way, or that it made total business sense, I realised immediately that it was all about them, and not us.

People’s livelihoods were being taken away, and for that reason, I had to park my fears and insecurities.  I parked my feelings of judgement, and I parked my anger if someone was verbally attacking me as a ‘voice of the company’.  It was about them and not me.

Despite how difficult the situation was, I quickly established rapport with the store community.  Understandably I wasn’t always warmly received when I conducted store closures.  However, while I might have been HR, I was also one of them.  I had been in their shoes, I could relate to their challenges, and we had shared experiences.

I empathised. 

And I grew because of it.  I saw through the situation through their eyes, and consequently, I adjusted my approach.  While I couldn’t change the situation they were facing, I could certainly influence their experience of it. 

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)

I am a huge fanboy of Maya Angelou - I didn’t know that quote back then, but I sure approached life like I did.

My experiences in that role shaped my approach throughout my career right up to being Chief Talent Officer.  Although the complexities of my roles changed over time, the importance of being aware of and recognising the impact of my actions on people never waned. 

Since leaving my corporate HR career four years ago, I am lucky to say I am living my purpose as a coach, entrepreneur and business advisor.  I am a co-founder of Mavericks Unlimited, a coaching and leadership development company that helps people to ‘make their own rules’ and live life on their terms. 

Last year, we launched our online coaching course - SWITCH - for individuals going through a major transition in their life.

And we’re no strangers to life changes at Mavericks Unlimited – in the past, we’ve lost jobs, been in unproductive situations or struggled through business problems.  This course was created from the heart and with the sole aim of helping people to access coaching tools and guidance to get unstuck and back on their feet as quickly as possible.

I designed SWITCH not only as a coach but also as an HR leader, to help organisations support their employees through restructuring. 

It always felt odd that in a restructuring process, one day they were your folks and the next, they weren’t.  It bothered me that we had no way of helping people after they left (apart from prohibitively expensive outplacement).  I wanted to make it easy for business leaders to show you care about your employees and understand what they are going through, so we created SWITCH.

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.” (Oprah Winfrey)

Oprah says it so well. Leadership is about empathy.  It takes courage to use it, and conviction to make the world better through it.

Empathy was the first skill I learnt in HR, and it’s still the most important one today. 

—-

My name is Hasan. I am an executive coach, leadership expert, business advisor, proud non-executive director of The Talent Crossing and a co-founder of Mavericks Unlimited.

Thanks for reading – email me anytime at hasan@mavericksunlimited.com – I’d love to hear from you!

Previous
Previous

Culture matters by Jo Webb