Cultivating compassion in the workplace

Who doesn’t enjoy being the recipient of compassion and kindness? As research into the neuroscience of compassion has expanded over the last several years, we can now apply the science behind how compassion works in the brain towards cultivating compassion, empathy and kindness at work and in our home lives.  

A foundational component of all cultures and religions, compassion has often been understood as a quality that is meant to bring about a sense of connectedness with one another and kindness towards others. In the workplace as well as in our personal lives, compassion may be considered a humanistic quality that serves numerous important purposes including the building of safety and trust between people and enabling teams to achieve their full potential. 

Benefits of compassion at work

The presence of compassion within teams (whether defined in a formal sense or informally among those who work independently but rely upon the goodwill of others) is known to help:  

• bring about a sense of connectedness and kindness; research also shows that enacting kindness helps induce positive emotions among the givers as well
• increase trust and a sense of safety among individuals
• reduce the negative impacts of stress through the cortisol (stress hormone) moderating effects of oxytocin (often called the “love hormone”) 
• de-escalate conflict in relationships; and 
• build overall positive mood and that has been associated with improved engagement, productivity and performance too. 

Understanding the physiology

As research into the neurobiology of compassion has expanded over the last several years, the idea of compassion as a physiological phenomenon has been further explored. By understanding the science behind how compassion works in the brain and our bodies, we can better understand how to cultivate compassion and empathy in different contexts. 

At the centre of the neuroscience of compassion lies the notion of connectivity. This is best understood through the concept of mirror neurons, the neuronal cells that become active when we see or experience another person engaging in a particular behaviour. The activation of these neurons allows us to be able to relate to or empathise with someone else’s feelings and experiences. When we observe someone else’s situation, these neurons fire, which in turn creates an emotional connection — in this way, our emotions then have the capacity to mirror the emotions we are witnessing. 

In a sense, mirror neurons are the foundation for empathy and compassion in understanding other people’s experiences and responding in a kind, compassionate way. 

Fostering strength of connection

Research indicates that our ability to respond to the suffering of another person with compassion is influenced by the strength of our connection to the other person. When the connection is strong, we are more likely to feel empathy and compassion, while when it is weak, we are less likely to do so. Additionally, there is evidence showing that when someone has a sense of personal safety or security in their community or team, they are more likely to feel compassion. 

Overall, the neuroscience of compassion emphasises how much of a role our neurological state plays in how we empathise and respond to suffering with kindness and care.  

As a first step, by developing a greater understanding of how our brains are programmed to respond to suffering, we can equip ourselves with the necessary skills to cultivate a more compassionate workplace and world. 

Three practical things you can do to cultivate compassion in your team

Compassion is essential for teams to build trust and foster collaboration. This is because being kind and empathetic helps reduce stress, improve communication, cultivate unity and create a healthier workplace. However, many teams struggle with how to cultivate compassion.  

1. Encourage empathy 
   To cultivate compassion, teams should first aim to promote empathy between its members. People often have a tendency to look out for their own interests within a team and to devalue the interests of other members. To help prevent this, teams should strive to create opportunities for empathy. One practical action is to have members share each of their perspectives on issues without judging or criticising other’s shared perspectives (this is integral to psychological safety), as well as encouraging members to acknowledge feelings and recognise how each individual’s feelings and experiences shape their perspectives;
2. Model kindness 
   Teams should also strive to model compassion by fostering a safe and kind environment. Leaders, especially, should exemplify compassion towards their team and show empathy to each team member. This will show the other members of the team that compassion is a priority and that it should be displayed by all. 
3. Emphasise respectful communication 
   To cultivate compassion within teams, team members should strive to communicate with each other in a respectful and understanding way. This means that team members should listen to each other without criticism and remain open-minded to other perspectives. Paraphrasing – the art of feeding back to the other person in your own words what you have heard them say (without superimposing judgment or devaluing the other person’s feelings or thoughts), can help reduce tensions and create an environment that allows members to express empathy and compassion.  Listening with intent to paraphrase can also help activate our own mirror neurons which in turn, helps us to empathise with the other person’s situation and feelings.

In my next blog, I’ll be talking about the interactions between oxytocin, dopamine and the stress hormone cortisol and epinephrine (often called adrenaline) and will offer some practical tools for using this knowledge to help build trust, positive mood and wellbeing in teams.  

If you’d like to discuss ways to nurture and leverage compassion in your team, contact Mark today.

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References

1. Ashar, Yoni & Andrews-Hanna, Jessica & Dimidjian, Sona & Wager, Tor. (2016). Toward a Neuroscience of Compassion. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199977925.003.0009.Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305672507_Toward_a_Neuroscience_of_Compassion
2. Lutz, A., Brefczynski-Lewis, J., Johnstone, T., & Davidson, R. (2008). Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise. PloS one, 3(3), e1897.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001897  
3. Masten, C. L., Morelli, S. a, & Eisenberger, N. I. (2011). An fMRI investigation of empathy for “social pain” and subsequent prosocial behavior. NeuroImage, 55(1), 381–8. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.11.060Available at: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/Masten(2011)NeuroImage.pdf 
4. Mascaro, J, Darcher, A, Negi, L. T. & Raison, C. L. (2015). The neural mediators of kindness-based meditation: a theoretical model. Frontiers in Psychology 2015 Vol. 6. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00109/full 
5. Habermas, T., & Bluck, S. (2000). Getting a life: The emergence of the life story in adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 126(5), 748–769. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.5.748
6. Vernon, C. (2021). Compassion As A Business Objective: Why It Matters And How To Cultivate It Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/09/02/compassion-as-a-business-objective-why-it-matters-and-how-to-cultivate-it/?sh=65045754dc56