“Walk a mile in my shoes. Before you abuse, criticize and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.”
The lyrics made famous by Joe South and The Believers in 1970 are a fitting argument for compassion and empathy when providing feedback.
Emotionally Intelligent leaders understand the power and heart of empathy. They do not cross the line into caretaking and enabling, rather they hold the other person as ABLE to hear the constructive change being suggested. They have respect for the individual that allows them to explore the underlying story that may have contributed to the behavior requiring feedback.
They do that by refraining from criticizing, assuming, or framing an opinion before they “walk a mile in another’s shoes.” We want our employees to be successful. Their success is our success.
Empathetic, authentic, “you can do it” feedback is a wonderful skill to build and use. Your emotional intelligence models the path of emotional intelligence for those who follow your leadership.
Pretty soon, you all will be freely exchanging ideas, feedback, improvements and innovations.
Haven’t you ever wished that someone who was judging or criticizing you could walk a mile in your shoes and see the situation from your point of view? Guess what…your employees would like that, too!
Begin your walk and jumpstart your team’s engagement with my complimentary audio workshop. To receive my F-R-E-E mini-audio workshop “The 5 REAL Reasons Your Team is Not Engaged (and it’s not what you think)” CLICK HERE.
Have You Ever Wondered About Your Level of Emotional Intelligence?
One of the aspects of transformation is self awareness. At the base of transformation is self awareness intertwined with emotional intelligence. If you are curious about your Emotional Intelligence skills, I’ve created a quiz for you. A few short questions and you will receive your results and a little extra coaching by email to help elevate from where you are now.
