It’s cool to be kind: The value of empathy at work

It’s cool to be kind: The value of empathy at work

Author: McKinsey People & Organizational Performance February 28, 2024 Duration: 34:20

Empathy: we all aspire to it, but does it really make a performance difference in the workplace? Definitely, according to Jamil Zaki, a research psychologist at Stanford University and author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World (Crown, June 2019). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Jamil joins McKinsey talent leaders Bryan Hancock and Brooke Weddle, with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly, to make the case for investing in empathic behavior—for reasons including higher productivity, a stronger workplace culture, and better organizational health—as well as to discuss how to go about cultivating kindness at work.

See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information


Hosted by McKinsey People & Organizational Performance, McKinsey Talks Talent is a series of conversations for anyone tasked with building and guiding teams through constant disruption. Rather than offering abstract theories, this podcast grounds itself in the practical realities leaders face today, from government policy shifts to rapid technological adoption. Regular hosts and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock sit down with a range of globally recognized practitioners and thinkers. Their discussions dig into the tangible aspects of transformational change, leadership development, and the nuanced work of actually placing people at the center of strategy. Each episode moves beyond simply diagnosing challenges to explore how organizations can genuinely leverage their workforce as a durable source of advantage. You’ll hear specific ideas on navigating the evolving social contract of work, reshaping organizational design, and fostering the agility needed in modern business. It’s a resource for executives, managers, and policymakers who understand that the most complex questions in today’s landscape are ultimately human ones. Tune in for grounded perspectives that connect talent directly to performance and resilience.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 43

McKinsey Talks Talent
Podcast Episodes