Insight is the Thinking Heart Compassion is Caring about others
In this essay, seeing is not your eyesight, it is insight. Consider the following quote, : "if you have sight you are blessed. If you have insight, you are a thousand times blessed".
How is insight developed? The most gifted college professor cannot teach insight. In fact, professors addicted to knowledge are frequently an obstacle to insight. Insight, I feel, is a state of a beginner's mind or the state of unknowing. It is open to experiencing with choice less awareness and peeling away the mind clutter of judging and evaluating.
Put another way, insight is a thinking heart without a thought. Insight is the inclusion of the heart with the mind. Inclusion creates living with both a tough mind and a tender heart. As research indicates we use only 5 percent of our mind then we are using one fifth of one percent of our heart. Insight is wisdom resulting in compassion. From a human dimension, compassion can bring an enormous benefit and motivation to the workplace.
Let's begin with what compassion is not. In the workplace, compassion is not a laissez faire manager requiring little or no standard. When we do for others who are capable, we enable and drain the development of a healthy self esteem that is connected to accomplishment. So, how can we practice compassion in the workplace. Here are a few suggestions:
- Refuse to look for a scapegoat. The Japanese say, " Fix the problem, not the blame". It is not uncommon in a Western setting for the scapegoat to be the lowest person in rank. The refocus of problem resolution redirects the negative energy of blaming to the positives of collaboration. Financially, imagine the billions of dollars wasted on productivity when looking to blame.
- Support, don't sympathize. Showing empathy to co-workers is a sign of compassion. Sympathy, however, remains with focused on the problem. Support begins with acknowledging the problem followed by an action toward solution.
- Understand the boss. If the boss makes a decision against your needs, there is frequently a tendency to personalize. This is a huge career mistake. Suggestion: Practice compassion by placing yourself in the position of the boss. As you grow and get promoted, your success at the next level always requires an in depth understanding of a bigger picture. Please consider depersonalizing as effective leaders make decisions in the best interests of the whole.
There are two ways to view compassion: 1) Can I afford to be compassionate? and 2) Can I afford not to be?
