How effectively do your leaders and employees deal with a co-worker's grief, stress, and burnout? Do they respond as Fixit Frank, Silent Sam, Cheer-up Cheryl, or Buckup Bobby? With all the uncertainty, angst,  stress, and burnout permeating workplaces, maybe it’s time for an Empathy SWAT Team and an empathy toolkit too. Workplace Empathy Advocate Liesel Mertes and the founder of Handle with Care Consulting joins us with her team of empathy avatars to unlock the benefits of practicing empathy at work and how to get better at it.

We are all first responders in our own way. Oftentimes, managers and co-workers are the first ones to see when something is wrong but aren’t the best equipped to deal with it. In a Never-Normal world with perpetual uncertainty, increasing angst, and an epidemic level of burnout, empathy matters. What needs to change? Who is responsible? Are some people just better suited to be empathic leaders? Can empathy be learned? What can leaders and HR do? What if all of us could be workplace first responders who have a basic toolkit that helps to stabilize and connect with people in a way that matters?