In 1971 one of the most controversial experiments in the history of psychology took place. Twenty-four young people were selected to simulate the operation of a jail at Stanford University. Under the supervision of Professor Zimbardo, two groups were established: one to assume the functions of the guards and another to get into the role of the prisoners. After six days, the experiment was canceled ahead of schedule, as the participants internalized their roles so much that the level of conflict and mistreatment became unsustainable.
Despite the apparent failure of the investigation, the Stanford prison served to demonstrate that individual behavior is highly conditioned by the position we occupy at each moment. Along the same lines, it was possible to verify how, as authority is gained, the risk of losing empathic capacity increases, adopting a distorted vision of the hierarchically inferior group.
And it is that empathy, understood as the ability to put yourself in the shoes of others, is not a virtue that usually develops naturally. Although several studies place it among the five most valued qualities for good leadership, the great challenge consists in giving it a truly practical approach, which motivates its conscious exercise and does not relegate it to the level of nice-sounding rhetoric. Because we already know that hell is paved with good intentions.
In this context, there are three principles of the management function that can help turn empathy into a useful work tool. The first is well known: "Treat others as you would like to be treated." An invitation to always anchor ourselves to our origins, remembering that the law of reciprocity is implacable: what you give is what you will receive. In fact, if a manager is not capable of understanding the needs of his people in order to provide them with solutions, it is most likely that he will not be suitable for the position.
The second principle is manifested under the formula “use the resources as if they were yours”. An action aimed at reducing the perennial dissonance that exists between the management of one's own and that of others. From the use of ballpoint pens to large budget items, the idea is to deny the reason of a Priorat winery, who organizes wine events for companies and who always says: "I immediately detect if I am talking to a manager or to the owner of the company, because only one negotiates the price of the bottles”.
Closely related to the above, the third principle is a real challenge: “Make the decisions that the owner would make”. This clue was exemplified by the executive committee of a textile company that was considering the acquisition of another company. The directors, seeing that it would increase the complexity of their work, oriented the debate towards the inconveniences of the operation, until the founder prompted them to make one last sincere reflection: "What would you do in my place?" After a month, the purchase process began.
The three principles hide a certain paradox, since they are as easy to understand as they are difficult to carry out. In any case, they have the great value of injecting empathy into three fundamental areas: team management, resource management, and strategic decisions. Without forgetting that there is a fourth principle, which encompasses everyone and is valid for the entire organization chart: "Try to look like the worker you would like to have in your company".
