Resistance to change has become embedded in almost everyone’s vocabulary. Pick up nearly any article or book on change management, and it will include information about how to manage resistance to change. In our courses and all of my client work, managing resistance is the number one area of concern or question.
I still hear leaders say, “we can’t involve everyone; our organization is too large,” or “we don’t have the time to involve everyone.” These and other similar statements reflect a belief that the involvement of the people affected is optional. It is not.
Empathy is the ability to recognize and connect with another person’s experiences, beliefs, and feelings or, sometimes, as in the case of organizational change, a group of people. It is the ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes.
Often considered a “soft” leadership skill, empathy is critical, especially during change. It is also one of the more challenging skills of leadership to cultivate and practice. In my book Launch Lead Live, empathy is one of the seven characteristics of a successful change leader.
