Compassion at Work

Is there a place for compassion at work?

It is easy to feel compassion for a family member, a friend, even a stranger experiencing hardship like a natural disaster. When your daughter is being bullied at school you go to her and offer solace from a place of love and understanding.

But do you feel compassion for people who are more removed from your inner circle? Do you feel compassion only for those you deem worthy? Do you make a judgement about the person or their situation before you offer compassion?

How often do you hear, “They brought it on themselves”? Or, “They just can’t seem to help themselves”. But does this exclude them from compassion? The woman with the drug addiction. The teenage boy who overeats. The man with the gambling problem. The co-worker in a rage after their project failed.

These behaviours are often symptoms of an underlying problem and the sufferer may not have the skills or support YET to overcome their suffering. They may have suffered trauma or loss or abuse. Now, do they deserve your compassion?

I want to take this a step further. I don’t believe compassion should depend on the circumstances. Whether we deem someone worthy. Whether they are suffering enough. If a person is suffering, let’s suspend judgement and offer compassion unreservedly.

But what is compassion? Compassion is not sympathy. When you feel sorry FOR someone, you place yourself above them. You distance yourself. This is pity. You are not moved to help them. In fact, according to Brenè Brown, in her book “Rising Strong”, you can trigger the sufferer to feel shame.

When you feel empathy for someone, you sit beside them. You understand their pain. You “put yourself in their shoes”. As The Buddha said, "Understanding is the heartwood of well-spoken words."

And when you feel compassion, you take it even further. You walk beside the person as they fight their battles. You’re there as they take those first tentative steps forward on the road to recovery. You come from a place of loving kindness and feel moved to help them shift beyond pain and suffering.

Is there a place for compassion at work? Absolutely. Wherever we are we are human beings with all the pain and suffering that can bring. Let’s treat everyone with compassion.

Di Krome is a Champion for Good Mental Health in the Workplace and founder of Wildfire Business Consulting. Di is on a mission to inspire business leaders to prioritise the mental health of their people and implement strategies to reduce stress and overwhelm so they can experience peace, joy and fulfilment at work.