Leaders need to understand their teams and truly empathise with them
The gap between younger and older employees has never been wider as the two generations grapple to work out what remote working means to their future
Last week, the UK chair of big four accounting firm KPMG, Bill Michaels, made headlines following an unempathetic string of comments telling staff to “stop moaning” and “playing the victim card” in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. This after more than half of the people participating in the 1,500-strong digital meeting had conveyed feelings such as that they are “hanging in there” [or] “drained”.
No organisation can accept the words Michaels used in these changed times. He has subsequently resigned. How ironic that this happened just after Forbes named “empathy” as their word for 2021. Accenture recently placed empathy as trend six in its forecasts for the year ahead. It is becoming increasingly obvious why...
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