There are far too many modern businesses in the world which show very little regard for the welfare of their customers or the people they use to make money. With policies which are designed for the company’s benefit, decisions based on profit, and money to be made from those who can’t speak out, it makes sense that some go down this route. Instead, though, you could be just as successful, and still run a business which has empathy at its core.
Your Mission Statement
Before you get started with this, it’s crucial that you build a mission statement for your business which encompasses your ethical aims. For example, if you are selling products which use rare materials to be made, starting with the aim of sourcing them from conflict-free companies is a great way to go. Your mission statement will be carried with you for the life of your business, and includes the basic aim you have for it, including what you hope to build it into in the future.
Your Policies
Some companies design their rules, terms, and policies in an effort to make their lives as easy as possible. Some clothing stores, for example, won’t let you send items back which have been taken out of their packaging, despite this being the only way to try them on. This isn’t a good way to handle business, though, and you should be working to make your business as easy as possible to use.
Your Team Members
Building a business which has a focus on empathy isn’t possible without the right people serving you. If your team members are treating people badly, the whole company will be dragged down with them, making it crucial that you spend the right time choosing people like this. During interviews, you will need to talk to your prospective team members about ethics. Simple questions can often be enough to uncover their true views, and it’s worth making sure that they have a similar moral compass to your own.
Your Training
It’s hard to train people to be good with one another, as this sort of skill has to be developed from an early age. Training in emotional intelligence is one of the best ways to go about this. This sort of training will give your team an understanding of what makes EQ so important, ultimately making it easier for them to understand their customer’s issues. It may take a couple of tries to make this work properly, but it will be well worth it to make sure that your team is operating with empathy.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of creating an empathetic business. A Lot of people struggle with this work, finding it hard to know where to start when they’re getting started with empathy in their business. This can start internally, with team members learning to work with one another, spreading to your customers once everyone is in a good position.
