同理心不可估量的價值
By Rick Boxx
德州一間大醫院花了一千六百五十萬美元蓋了一座頂級工藝的醫學大樓。但醫院的員工卻驚訝地發現，大手筆的投資只讓病人的滿意度增加1%。醫院執行長告訴華盛頓郵報，他們做了一個研究，希望能找出造成不滿意的原因，而研究結果顯示病人更在意的是同理心。
為了要改善這種狀況，醫院決定要採取一個果斷的步驟來改正這個問題。他們開始了一個新的訓練，舉辦了僕人訓練給所有的員工，並且給員工更多職權，不用一一上報主管就能滿足病人的需要。
僕人訓練以及重塑醫院的工作環境的效果很顯著。一段時間之後，病人的滿意度提升到90%。因為工作人員已經學到要把更多把焦點放在關心病人和他們的需要上，而不只是完成自己的工作而已。病人能感受到被關心和重視，而自己不只是一個在病房無名的醫學案例而已。
在聖經的詩篇第六十九篇二十節裡面，詩人說到：「 辱罵傷破了我的心，我又滿了憂愁。我指望有人體恤，卻沒有一個；我指望有人安慰，卻找不著一個。」人需要別人同理他，古今皆同。當一個人生病躺在醫院的病床上，或是做完手術躺床復原時，他們需要的不是醫術高超的治療，而是別人對他們的關心以及同理他們的痛苦和害怕。
不只在醫療機構裡，人們期待同理心。在大部分的職場上，客戶也在找真正關心他們需要的人。無論是買車、評估電腦軟體系統、出租辦公室空間或是選擇一個重要活動的地點。對顧客表現出真誠的友誼的人大部分都能夠得到客人忠心的支持和惠顧。
以下是聖經告訴我們，如何對我們所呼召服事的人(工商和專業人士)培養同理心：
第一、從他們的角度看事情。問問自己，如果你是病人或是客人，你希望怎樣被對待？你希望怎樣被對待，就用相同的態度去對待你的客戶，耶穌告訴我們這是不變的金律：「所以，無論何事，你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人，因為這就是律法和先知的道理。」(馬太福音 7章12節).
第二、把自己的利益放一邊，把注意力放在別人身上。我們每個人某種程度都是自私的，要把注意力轉移到別人身上需要努力和刻意地練習，如果希望顧客滿意，這是一定要做的。「凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀；只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強。 各人不要單顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。」 (腓立比書 2章3-4節).
本文版權為正直資源中心（Integrity Resource Center, Inc.）所有。本文獲得授權改編自瑞克．博克思的正直時刻Integrity Moments with Rich Boxx。這系列的文章是以一個基督徒的觀點評論職場的正直議題。更多相關訊息請上www.integrityresource.org。瑞克的新書「非典型企業」(Unconventional Business)提供了五個用神的方式來使企業成長的關鍵。
省思與問題討論
如果你發現自己的公司或是組織的顧客滿意度很低，你會如何反應？你會採取甚麼樣的步驟來處理這個問題嗎？ 處理人的問題不容易，我們也不可能討好每一個人。如果我們沒有辦法控制客戶要怎麼想，又為什麼要在意顧客滿意度呢？ 在職場上，我們要如何定義「同理心」？ 要如何對我們的客戶、同事、零售商或是供應商有同理心呢？ 為什麼我們有時候做不到「已所不欲勿施於人呢」？我們要如何才能做到？
備註: 如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多和這個主題相關的經文，請參考：箴言15章30節、20章28節、22章1，4節、27章23-27節、28章2節；使徒行傳20章35節；羅馬書12章10節
THE IMMEASURABLE VALUE OF EMPATHY
By Rick Boxx
A major hospital in Texas had built a $165 million state-of-the-art medical tower, but the staff was astounded to discover that despite the huge capital investment, patient satisfaction was a dismal one percent. The hospital”s CEO told the Washington Post a study was undertaken to determine the cause for the high level of dissatisfaction. The missing ingredient, the top executive said, was empathy.
Determined to remedy the situation, the hospital took decisive steps to correct the problem. They developed new training, providing all employees with important instruction in how to practice servant leadership, and gave staff more authority for meeting patient needs without having to receive supervisory approval.
Results from the training and reshaping the working environment within the hospital were remarkable. Over time, patient satisfaction rose from one percent to 90 percent. Because staff had learned to focus more on patient needs and concerns, rather than simply completing tasks they had to perform, the patients felt cared for and valued, rather than as faceless medical cases occupying specific rooms.
The psalmist addressed the importance of such sensitivity in Psalm 69:20 when he wrote,“Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.” This is just as true today as it was then. When someone is lying in a hospital bed, suffering from some malady or recovering from surgery, what they need as much as skilled medical treatment is the sense that someone cares for them and understands their pain – and fears.
However, empathy is not a quality that is expected only in medical facilities. In most businesses, customers are looking for someone who cares, whether they are buying a car, evaluating software programs, leasing office space, or choosing the right venue for an important event. The capacity for demonstrating sincere concern for customers almost certainly will richly reward you with their ongoing loyalty and patronage.
Here are some simple principles from the Bible that apply to how we approach trying to cultivate a spirit of empathy toward those we are called to serve as business and professional people:
Look at things from their perspective. Ask yourself: If you were the patient – or the customer – how would you want to be treated? The answer you give should be a good indication on how you should approach your own customers in meeting their needs and responding to their concerns. Jesus said as much in His so-called “golden rule”: “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12).
Put your interests aside and focus on others. We are all self-centered to a degree, and it takes hard work and intentionality to shift that focus onto other people. But that is what we must do to achieve high degrees of customer satisfaction. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Copyright 2017, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more about Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His new book, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God”s Way.”
Reflection/Discussion Questions
If you were to discover the customer satisfaction at your business or organization was very low, maybe even one percent, how would you react? What immediate steps would you take to address the problem? Dealing with people is always a challenge, and we cannot please everybody every time. So why is customer satisfaction so important, since we cannot always control how they feel? How would you define “empathy,” as it relates to workplace situations? What should it look like in our interactions, not only with external customers, but also with colleagues, staff, and even vendors and suppliers? Why do we sometimes fail to consider the importance of treating others as we would want to be treated, if we were in their position? What can we do to avoid repeating that mistake?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 15:30, 20:28, 22:1,4, 27:23-27, 28:2; Acts 20:35; Romans 12:10
