4 Strategies to Help Your People Through Hard Times

We all experience personal problems at some point in our lives, and sometimes those problems can also affect our work. According to a study by inc.com, 47% of employees admit that their personal problems can impact their performance at work.

As a leader, you have to show empathy to someone who is going through personal problems while making sure that your team’s performance isn’t compromised. This is no easy task, but it can be done effectively.

Here are 4 strategies to consider when your employees’ work is being affected by personal matters:

1. Practice empathy, but be fair.

Empathy is essential both personally and professionally since it enables us to connect, be compassionate and understand others. People aren’t always comfortable telling their boss about their personal problems; but when empathy is part of your company culture, people will be more confident and comfortable approaching you when they’re going through challenges in their personal lives. Moreover, when you cultivate empathy in the workplace, you also build better rapport with employees⁠-the kind of relationships that will allow you to know them better and identify when they might be going through something before they even come to you.