Sales Strategy
When Empathy Isn’t Always The Best Choice | September 27, 2017 (0 comments)
Miami, FL—This summer, I was reading about how people react to each other and about “empathy.” Is it all it’s cracked up to be?
Our ability to empathize is usually recognized as a way to make the world a better place. But some argue that the opposite is true. Some feel, especially motivational coaches, that our emotional nature has been oversold. We have gut feelings, but we also have the capacity to override them, to think through issues, including moral issues, and to come to conclusions that surprise us. I think this is where empathy is biased. It is what makes us distinctively human, and gives us the potential to be better to one another.
How could empathy ever steer us wrong? Empathy can be shortsighted, motivating actions that might make things better in the short-term but lead to negative results for the future. Empathy for those close to us is a powerful force but not always on the positive side.
In the workplace, empathy can show a deep respect for co-workers and show that you care, as opposed to just going by rules and regulations. An empathic leadership style can make everyone feel like a team and increase productivity, morale and loyalty. Empathy is a powerful tool in the leadership belt of a well-liked and respected executive.
Understanding the difference between empathizing and sympathizing with someone is also important. Empathizing with someone means that you understand why they feel a certain way; sympathizing means you feel the same way. But in both cases, a business owner needs to maintain the boundary of business and personal, while the employee needs to understand that the business owner's priority is the success of the business.
Retail is tough these days. No one wants to feel they ever have to walk on tip toes. Let your associates know what you expect while they are in your retail environment and “try” to keep business and emotional empathy separate. --Andie
Andie Weinman, president and CEO of Preferred Jewelers International / Continental Buying Group Inc., was born with the “Jewelry Gene” working in the jewelry industry since she was only ten years old. Her first job was as a cashier in the opening of a catalog showroom doing a fantastic job even at that tender age. Andie holds a B.A. in musical theatre and a B.S. in marine biology from The University of Tampa. When she realized that seawater and marine biology were not good on her hair and she wasn’t quite good enough to make it on Broadway, the jewelry business beckoned. Andie has picked diamonds, sorted color stones, shot waxes and performed a multitude of jobs in the manufacturing of jewelry. Her negotiating experience and prowess has given her the reputation as being tough but fair in her dealings with vendors. In 2012 the Indian Diamond and Color Association awarded Andie the Prestigious Doyenne Award of the Year.