How to: Demonstrate Compassion

What does this look like?

Managers who demonstrate compassion:

• show genuine care and interest in people
• empathise with others
• are interested in matters that affect people both at work and outside of work
• are approachable, ready to listen and provide support
• manage their own emotional responses to issues that people share with them.

How can I do this?

1.    Actively listen

Showing compassion involves being willing to listen when people want to talk about something. Practise active listening.

• Show you’re paying attention by nodding and keeping eye contact.
• Listen without judging.
• Summarise what people say to show you’ve heard them. This can be helpful when you’re given lots of information.

2.    Show understanding and empathy

• When people are facing challenges, acknowledge their circumstances and concerns.
• Think about how you would feel in the same situation and offer the kind of response you’d want yourself.
• Ask them what they need and how you can help.

3.    Offer support

• If someone’s looking for support, consider all suggestions and support options.
• Explain what support is available, for example, EAS, leave or relevant resources.
• Encourage them to reach out to their own support network including family, friends and/or a GP.
• Try not to offer personal advice.
• If you can’t offer the support someone asks for, acknowledge the request, explain what support is available and/or offer to get further advice about their request.

4.    Be aware of your own emotions

• Stay in tune with your own emotions and whether they’re impacting your ability to show compassion to others.
• Use strategies to calm your emotions, such as deep breathing and brief meditation, so you can continue being approachable and compassionate.

5.    Be open, reflect and learn

• Be open to feedback.
• Reflect on how well you show compassion and be prepared to change your approach if you need to.
• Learn from others who do it well.

You may find this challenging if you…

• focus more on doing work than connecting with people
• don’t see the value of compassion at work
• think compassion is a sign of weakness
• prefer to separate work and personal life
• feel uncomfortable when people are distressed or in pain
• don’t like expressions of emotion
• avoid difficult conversations.

You may not be demonstrating compassion appropriately if…

• your compassion stops you from addressing problems with someone’s behaviour or performance
• you offer supports that are not within organisational policies and awards
• you get personally involved in other peoples’ circumstances.