Management: A new ‘feelings-based’ approach emerges from the pandemic

There is a whole new approach to management emerging from the struggles of the pandemic crisis.

While soft skills have been all the rage for some years, never has top management been expected to be so sensitive, so warm and so humane.

“Management is becoming human,” says one expert, “and feelings are now getting as much attention as KPIs.”

So if we home in on the key management skills to receive emphasis emerging from the crisis, we find that “empathy” tops the charts, according to Professor Anneloes Raes at the IESE Business School in Barcelona.

“Most of us know that empathy is all about putting yourself into someone else’s shoes, in order to understand what they’re thinking and feeling. Does this matter in business?” Raes asks?

“This is really something that I think is very important in many business situations, whether it is about understanding your clients, understanding your team members, understanding your negotiation partners, understanding the markets.

“Empathy is crucial during times of crisis when so many people are struggling. It’s also key to producing the kinds of connections with colleagues that can generate much-needed innovation. Empathetic leaders know how to create an atmosphere in which all of their team members – not just a few – come forward with ideas. They know how to engage with team members who are different from themselves because of culture, or background, or personality, or age.” Raes explains.

“Inclusion” is a feeling that is also considered important in these times of crisis – we are not talking about inclusion from the point of view of discrimination, which is critical today for all companies.

But we learn, according to a June 2020 McKinsey report, almost half of the survey respondents do not feel very included in their organisations. That same report found that most employees, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, said they encountered barriers to a sense of inclusion.

Being part of a group that makes a whole is clearly significant to us all in the workplace, says Greg Pryor, an executive director at Workday.

“We know organizations that innovate, serve customers, and deliver critical outcomes better than their competitors have employees who feel a deep sense of belonging and commitment. Unfortunately for many organisations, outcomes have not matched intentions,” Pryor says.

“Inclusion is about creating workplace principles and practices that nurture a sense of belonging and psychological safety where all people can do their best work. When people feel included, they’re more willing to take risks, which leads to innovation and contribution. So the key challenge for any workplace is to enable people, first and foremost, by making sure they feel a deep sense of inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety.”

Flexibility is another ‘soft’ quality that is being demanded of managers. Says HR software provider Manatal: “Be flexible, reliable, and make sure you strengthen people. It will make your staff happier and more productive. There are two things that a manager must be able to distinguish well: when to lead and when to provide support. It all comes down to situational leadership. If the employee does that well, they will make a great manager, and their role in growing the company beyond its humble beginnings becomes invaluable.”

And there is one more aspect of sensitivity highly demanded of managers today.

A recent study conducted by the American Institute of Stress stated that nearly 80 per cent of the nation is afflicted by some form of stress, anxiety, or depression.

“One of the most difficult stresses to handle is that of a troublesome boss or manager,” warns one management consultant.

Perhaps one of the most feeling qualities managers can have is to not be a cause of stress themselves.

“Be honest, open and truthful with your workers, and they will work harder for it,” the consultant maintains.

If you’ve ever been a manager, you’ll know that this is quite true, and quite difficult to do.