Compassion. It’s not something we talk about too much in the world of business, but we should.

Why?

To answer that, let’s first come to grips with what compassion is, and then, look at why it’s important to the work we do.

So, what is compassion?

Well, it’s not empathy. Empathy is about understanding and feeling what others feel. It’s a valuable tool that gives us the ability to relate to others in a deep way. However, empathy stops there. You can have empathy and do nothing. You can walk away. This is where compassion is different.

Compassion is, much like empathy, first about awareness. It’s about seeing others and being aware of their problems and suffering, however, unlike empathy, compassion can involve, but does not require, feeling that pain. Compassion just requires recognizing it. From there, compassion becomes more active because that awareness of the needs of others fuels a desire to help. Thus, the big difference between empathy and compassion is action, a desire to make things better. If anything, compassion is empathy with work boots on.

Now consider what we do in business. Customers come to businesses with problems they are suffering with, and in the best of worlds, businesses listen and observe and do whatever they can to solve the problem. Notice anything? Look at the formula. Awareness of need + recognition of problem + a desire to make things better.

In this light, the importance of compassion to business becomes clear. Business, at its heart, is about serving people, a.k.a. helping people. It is primarily what businesses do whether they necessarily know it or not. And if helping people means awareness and recognition of customer problems coupled to a desire to make things better, well, isn’t that really compassion?

So, if service is what business does, and service is essentially practical compassion, it follows that for businesses to get better at service, they should study, train, and practice compassion.

But, in my experience, business leaders don’t want to talk about compassion, in fact, they don’t even think it should be a topic of discussion. They say it’s too touchy feely and steer away from it like office romance or other such “off-limits” subjects. One would think they’re afraid of it. But compassion, as we’ve seen, is not just some touchy-feely nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. It is a fundamental component of being human, and, if you’re in business, needs to be a topic of discussion and a cultural norm that is practiced and encouraged.

Is compassion the secret to better business, maybe. It certainly pays dividends. According to multiple research studies, there is a long list of health benefits including lower blood pressure, decreased heart disease, reduced levels of burnout, and lower stress to name a few. And these benefits do not just show up for the receivers of compassion but for the deliverers as well.

In addition, think of the practical, measurable business benefits. Better health for employees can mean lower healthcare costs. More cooperation in the workplace can mean more creativity, innovation, and productivity. More compassionate employees deliver more compassionate service to customers who walk away happier and return again and again. And these happier customers also spread the word about you to their friends, families, and coworkers. Think how all of that can impact your bottom line.

So, do you still think compassion is not something for the business world? You need to think again because there is no downside. There is only upside, but to bring it into your business, you will need to begin the conversation. Share this post. Learn more, read a book—I recommend Compassionomics and/or Wonder Drug and/or A Case for Compassion to get you started—and start a workplace book club. Start infusing compassion into your culture. You will notice a difference, your teammates will notice a difference, and your customers will notice a difference. And that difference will make a huge difference to your success.

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