Managers who lead with empathy and show concern for workers’ well-being are more likely to increase their team’s performance and productivity than others, according to March 5 research from researchers at Durham University and Athens University.
Leaders with a vision who can share their long-term goals also appear to be more likely to boost employee effectiveness, the researchers found.
“Remote working spiked during the COVID pandemic, and a steady balance has now been found in office roles, with estimates of around 44% of workers in the UK working in some form of remote work role,” researchers Olga Epitropaki and Anders Friis Marstand said in a statement.
“But with a growing trend of managers asking workers to return to the office to boost performance, it could be the case that it is not home working that has reduced performance, but manager’s poor leadership skills instead,” they added.
The researchers analyzed data to better understand the psychological distance that can develop between remote workers and their managers. In particular, they focused on three leadership behaviors that may close the gap: how managers create employee structure, show consideration and communicate their vision. The research team looked at how these behaviors can affect workers’ efficiency with tasks, emotional coping and performance outcomes.
The data stemmed from two studies — a four-wave online study of 300 remote workers and a four-wave study of 200 hybrid workers. Both studies asked workers to discuss their interactions with their managers and their manager-employee relationship, including leadership behaviors, psychological distance and task performance.
Overall, the researchers found that remote and hybrid workers felt closer to their managers who showed care and clearly communicated their vision. This helped employees to handle their work better.
At the same time, workers with empathetic leaders were more likely to exhibit avoidant behaviors, such as watching TV or browsing social media during work hours. Even so, task performance was better under empathetic leaders than those who remained emotionally distant.
The research team recommended managers connect with remote workers by scheduling regular one-on-one meetings and team meetings to discuss progress, challenges and well-being concerns. Clear communication about goals and objectives can also help reduce psychological distance and boost remote collaboration and performance, the researchers said, and investment in leadership training can help managers adapt to the challenges of remote management.
Empathy goes a long way at work. Workers say they want an empathetic employer, and they’d take a pay cut to have one, according to an HP report. Most workers said they have an unhealthy relationship with work and would be happier and more productive with empathetic and emotionally intelligent leaders.
But empathetic leadership and career support can also help reduce the negative impacts of layoffs, especially during an uncertain time when workers may be worried, according to an LHH survey. Showing empathy can protect against low morale and negative publicity, the report found.