How to develop empathy in business

What does empathy have to do with business, or, in this case, what does empathy have to do with the hospitality industry? As hospitality works with people, then empathy has everything to do with our business.

What has to stay more than clear to all hoteliers is that no matter how technological or innovative your business, hotel/resort is. We must bring people to the center of any process we have decided to implement in our hotel operations.

The obvious needs to be said and needs to be shown in practice, especially by management, that is, having empathy is nothing more than knowing how to identify the needs of others in all aspects. Look at that interesting, basic and mandatory challenge in our daily lives. You just can’t see who you don’t want.

Who makes the hotel industry succeed are the people

The hospitality industry was already very challenged before the Pandemic. Now then you will be even more questioned in the face of countless responsibilities and must exceed the expectations, needs in general not only of your guest, but now, more than ever your team, your team, your employees, partners in general, suppliers, investors, owners and shareholders.

To managers, owners, investors, I would like to register here in this article that who makes your company to succeed are your employees, all the people who make up your hotel / resort. Without your team, you’re nothing. Given this statement with the property of those who live in hospitality for more than 25 years, without people, you get absolutely nothing.

See how many important situations involve empathy in your company and all of this directly impacts the outcome you want to deliver. Engage people, value people, cooperate with everyone on your team – It’s the least!!!

Daily attitudes of empathy

At the age of 24 I became the chief executive of a hotel operation, that is, the general manager in this whole process of empathy is number 1 in this incessant quest to empathize with everyone around him. And what does that have to do with my development and growth in my career?

Have daily attitudes of empathy for the people around you. This is also one of the main skills of this hotel executive. If you do not learn to put yourself in the place of the other, your career may become less pleasurable, because I affirm that interaction with people is fundamental and who gains the most from it are the people who seek to have this daily empathy along with you.

Right now, the hotel is trying to survive, open and pay their bills. Very difficult task in the face of a pandemic. See how empathetic executives need to have in the face of so many responsibilities. Make difficult decisions, be present even facing this invisible disease, listen, listen and listen to everything and everyone, creating connections with all the people of their daily life.

Pandemic requires executive flexibility

People are different and thank God that this is indeed so. This is the great differential of the professional in being able to understand this other, and create situations to improve more and more interpersonal communication to deliver better results for your company.

For the professional to bear this emotional load that they have mandatorily placed on our shoulders, the great differential that goes far beyond any other situation is to have a lot of empathy, flexibility to transform their attitudes and conducts with the people who are part of their daily lives, transforming the mentality of everyone in the search for high performance.

If you do not know or do not want to have empathy these days, be careful, because without empathy the results of your business will be directly affected in your company.

Intelligent management professionals know how to attract, develop and try their best to ensure that their professionals seek to stay in their operations even receiving some proposals from other companies. That’s a huge challenge, because it’s expensive what I just said here. Time and countless investments and resources in professionals.

Knowing how to relate is the key to keeping your team together

Empathy in the negotiations before the pandemic, during and not in the future and yes NOW, ALREADY, AT THIS MOMENT of resumption is considered one of the main competencies of the management of present/future hoteliers. Easy right? The Hotelier is obliged to look at his daily problems from several different points of view, obviously aiming at this empathic look to improve his result.

A good hotel executive knows how to relate and know how to relate is the key for you to stay in your business through professional management. I’m not here telling hoteliers to accept and agree to everything, but to have personality and emotional balance to make less mistakes in their decisions, but always putting that empathetic look on their business.

It’s no easy task, but I’m not here talking to amateurs, I’m talking to professionals who seek high performance in their companies. Here I gather some advice over my years as a manager:

• Always prepare, have parameter and indicators – listen first, talk later;
• With a lot of respect, empathy and education, question everything and everyone, ask, listen and then position yourself with professionalism.
• You, me, no one knows everything or are the owner of reason, seek mutual understanding between the parties;
• Even if you apply empathy, there are many people on the other side who don’t even know what I’m talking about here, that is, problems will always exist in your management with or without empathy. The fact is that with empathy the number of problems tends to be lighter if better applied and conducted in your hotel/resort.
• Empathy is not giving guesses, achismos or handing out advice around.
• Being or empathy today with this pandemic is helping people, caring for everyone, customers, employees, partners, suppliers and shareholders.
• Indispensable ingredient for professional management is to have empathy in its essence. No more talking nice and not doing what’s right.

You and your team are the only ones who can create and have a positive impact on the management of your business by applying empathy in practice, bringing daily to the organization what we need most at this time – TRUST

Happy customers spread their name

It’s not enough that you just deliver a memorable experience to your guests. Now, more than ever, he needs SECURITY AND CONFIDENCE, just like his employees and everyone around him.

In the United States, we use the very concept that if your guests are happy they will make customers more loyal, take their name to other people and businesses and tell about how they felt while staying at your hotel/resort.

Do this in practice, demonstrate your empathy, and be prepared, because the chances of you making mistakes on a day-to-day basis will decrease and your company gains a prominence above your competition, that’s a fact.

Empathy in our profession is present all the time, because it directly impacts our emotional intelligence. Make use of it without moderation and with authenticity.