Make it Technology-Aided and Human-Powered: Compassion in Action

Thank you for joining me for the second installment in the series “Make it Technology-Aided and Human-Powered.” This series provides tools to help you position your customer and employee experience for relevance in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 world. This installment is titled “Compassion in Action.”

In my last post, I distinguished between compassion, empathy, and sympathy. I also shared that from the onset of the pandemic, I’ve worked with leaders and businesses that have responded to the full-frontal blow of COVID-19. They have done so by showing tenacity, adaptivity, generosity, and most importantly, compassion.

Healthcare providers endured grueling shifts exposed to high viral loads only to leave their workplaces and isolate themselves from family members. Restaurant owners donated meals to frontline workers. Community leaders purchased and delivered items to homebound seniors. Many companies pivoted operations to produce hand-sanitizer, ventilators, face shields, gowns, and masks.

At an individual level, leaders and colleagues rapidly activated ingenuity and technology to address the need for human connection. School teachers and principals augmented online learning by displaying banners with words of encouragement outside of students’ homes. Automobile parades replaced birthday parties. Neighbors stepped onto their balconies and expressed solidarity and gratitude for frontline workers. High school and college graduates received support from strangers and watched commencement addresses from celebrities. Musicians live-streamed concerts for charitable causes. Friends socialized through virtual happy hours, game nights, shared movie watching, and trivia contests. Where possible, work teams mitigated the business and social impact of COVID-19 through video conferences and collaboration tools.

COVID-19 may have struck the first blow, but people counterpunched with empathy, compassion, self-discipline, adaptation, communication, and innovation.

How about you? What specifically have you done to demonstrate empathy, compassion, adaptation, and innovation?

In the weeks ahead, I will share how technology should enhance NOT replace humanity. In the meantime, I’d love to hear how you’re merging technology and humanity as you counterpunch this virus. During that conversation, I might share how some of my clients are doing the same. Let’s talk.

Please reach out to me here.

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Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D. is a professional speaker and chief experience officer at The Michelli Experience. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, Dr. Michelli and his team consult with some of the world’s best customer experience companies.

Follow on Twitter: @josephmichelli

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