Cultivating a Culture of Care and Compassion (CCCC)
I have been contemplating on a question that has been burying itself deep in my thoughts and gnawing in my heart.
As I look around in this world, quietly but intently observing everything around me, I wonder: do we still have a culture of care and compassion?
Are being caring and compassionate still part of the language today? In our families, schools, workplace and even in the community. Is it still as common as it should be? Or has it become foreign or alien to us?
I think about a typical workplace setting. Has care and compassion become irregular in the workplace since a typical office scenario involves a lot of stress and breakdown in character because of all the pressure and high demand in order to reach a company’s goals?
We often hear the word compassion thrown around by religious organizations or charitable institutions that promote helping other people in need. However, it is seldom used in the context of the workplace. Maybe it’s because of the nature and culture that the corporate jungle has where people need to be competitive and aggressive in making a sale or closing an important deal. The only goal is for the company to reach its potential and be on top, overtaking its competitors. Anything else is a consolation and shouldn’t get in the way,
Compassion, by definition, is an action word that prompts a person to do something after seeing the sufferings of others. While this definition suits non-profit organizations that work towards humanitarian causes, the office is a place where a lot of people could use receiving compassion on their end because of all the struggles they are going through.
This is the reason why the higher ups of every company must be intentional in cultivating a culture of care and compassion because harmonious relationship brought about by these two virtues can drive people to be motivated at work and be confident under pressure. The result could also be exponential growth and success for the company since its workforce is its best asset.
Dealing with workplace pressure and stress
A person’s well-being is an important matter that needs to be addressed by every organization. The pressure and stress emanating from work should definitely be dealt with. Whenever an employee has trouble handling the pressure and stress from work, the effect of this can lead to behavioral problems which are detrimental to the dynamics of the workplace.
Imagine a personnel experiencing a bad day because of the spilled coffee in his shirt early in the morning? Typically, this unfortunate accident can bring negative effects for that person dealing with it the entire day, and it impacts the people he will be working with. The negative effect of this stressful situation is contagious.
This is just one small example of a situation that is external to office issues. What if the problem is internal and involves the office environment itself like a manager who is demotivated at work because of a pending promotion? Or a sales agent who just had family problems and can’t focus on her work? What about personal conflict that involves 2 workmates competing for the boss’ attention? These are the things that are at times difficult to address no matter how the HR department mediates and empower employees with issues.
These issues may be small compared to achieving the company’s goals, so there are times that these remain hidden and ignored until they’re so huge and blown out of proportion.
As a result, the HR department acts passively instead of being active in ensuring the well-being of employees. This is where the importance of cultivating a culture centered on care and compassion can promote an efficient and harmonious working environment.
Care and Compassion: important ingredients to working environment efficiency
Promoting a culture of care and compassion may sound like a weakness to some because teamwork and acceptance of one’s mistakes regardless of your position is part of being compassionate.
Remember that it is easy to be nice and all good whenever targets are reached and everything is fine and dandy. However, if the situation is beyond the boiling point because of work’s high demand, being nice and proper — even if you are a nice person — is close to impossible.
That is why a lot of employees are easily burned out during month ends and the productivity level decreases.
Care and compassion, if prioritized and encouraged intentionally, have great potential in promoting efficiency at work and will ensure that your HR will have lesser burden to bear if these are embedded within the company’s culture.
Employees will be encouraged to behave and act as team player and embrace the qualities that encompasses compassion.
Imagine a working environment with people who, no matter how busy they ware, would still be willing to listen to those who are in need of an audience or even a shoulder to cry on. If this happens, then you will solve the problems on miscommunications.
How about employees who have misunderstandings and after a constructive discussion, are able to admit their own mistakes? Grudges can be avoided and work is resumed to normal.
Or a superior that executes sound judgement in a fair and objective manner because he is sensitive to what others may feel. I’m sure that this leader will be highly respected by his team.
Care and compassion can go a long way to ensure the well-being of an organization is sustained. Stress, pressure and high demands are part of growth and the journey to success.
Nevertheless, the language of care compassion must be part of it to so that every person in the team can have a sense of belongingness instead of feeling that he or she is just there to work.
We are people in need of human touch, affection and understanding. It is through the language of care and compassion that these things can be realized.
Be more intentional in making the two big C’s a culture to be cultivated in the workplace today.
