What Your Coworkers Need Right Now Is Compassion

Home » What Do We Need Right Now » What Your Coworkers Need Right Now Is Compassion

Maybe your like

SKIP TO CONTENTHarvard Business Review LogoBusiness communicationWhat Your Coworkers Need Right Now Is Compassion

by Amy Gallo

March 30, 2020Digital Zoo/Getty Images
  • Post
  • Post
  • Share
  • Save
  • Buy Copies
  • Print

Summary.   

Leer en españolLer em português
  • Post
  • Post
  • Share
  • Save
  • Buy Copies
  • Print

In these difficult times, we’ve made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. To get all of HBR’s content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it very easy to be judgmental these days. Late last week, a coworker told me on Slack that she was going to be offline for a bit while she greeted her babysitter, who was showing up any minute. My immediate thought was, “That’s not social distancing.” For a split second I was mad at her. How could she let another person into her house at this time? Why isn’t she doing her part to flatten the curve? My feelings soon morphed into guilt and then into sadness and grief. I didn’t want to be annoyed with my coworker. So why was I?

Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, a cohost of the Women at Work podcast, and the author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) (Harvard Business Review Press, 2022) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict (Harvard Business Review Press, 2017). She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics.@amyegallo
  • Post
  • Post
  • Share
  • Save
  • Buy Copies
  • Print
Read more on Business communication or related topics Managing conflicts and Emotional intelligence

Partner Center

Tag » What Do We Need Right Now