The Empathy Advantage

Part IIRethink Your Organization

In the early days of 2020, a group of friends were planning a once‐in‐a‐lifetime expedition to Africa. They researched and planned for months. They studied local languages and customs, made travel arrangements, bought clothing and gear. A few of the friends had already begun to pack their bags. They were ready to go, until Covid had another idea. Fast forward two years. The Africa trip was called off, and a new adventure planned. They would hike the Canadian Rockies instead.

Both trips required specialty gear and appropriate clothing. They needed passports, guides, and permits for both trips. In either case, the travelers would benefit from a bit of local knowledge and physical preparedness. But as adventures go, the two trips could not be more different. Had they simply transferred the planning, luggage, and local knowledge from one trip to the other, our friends would surely have had a miserable time on the mountain trails in Canada.

You may be thinking to yourself: Of course, you plan for a safari differently from a mountain trek. It's obvious!

Yet in many cases, we'd bet, you're still going to work each day with a plan and approach that you adopted in your pre‐pandemic career. And as often as not, that approach isn't working quite like it used to. Going forward, the trip is different. Why would you use the same maps and planning for this completely different adventure?

Applying the plans and approach of the past to this new future is unhelpful ...