Managers Programme - Empathy in Action

Who should attend:  Trinity Managers only

This virtual café is an opportunity to reflect on how you as a manager might practise and embed empathy into your management style/framework. At times of crises we ask much of our teams and are grateful for their commitment. We need to understand and appreciate the implications for staff of leaning in /stepping up and we need to engage with them to ensure what we are asking is sustainable both for them and for the institution.

Practice practical empathy:

• This is a time to ask questions and avoid assumptions. Many are feeling overwhelmed.  Ask people what they need and agree practical boundaries.  This can be on an individual basis.  Be clear on what is acceptable and what is not.
• Understand the context in which the members of your team are operating and work with them to agree appropriate work arrangements and reasonable deliverables.  Be flexible. 
• Set people up for success. Be realistic in your expectations for yourself and the team.
• Recognise that we are all learning a new way of working and that most of us have some challenge adapting. Some of us may have competence or confidence gaps.  These need to be understood and supports put in place to address them.
• Demonstrate respect for individual circumstances, e.g. it may not always be possible or appropriate to take a call.  Send a message in advance, asking when a suitable time would be to take a call. 
• Many of us are reporting that hours of screen time are more tiring than face to face meetings as we adapt.  Ensure you lead by following the guidelines for virtual meetings to support your team’s wellbeing. 
• Make it safe to share by being open to sharing your challenges
• Check in with your team members individually and as a team regularly
• Be kind to yourself and others

Presented by:  Dr. Deirdre Flynn, Director of Student Counselling, Student Learning Development and Student2Student in Trinity. She is currently on leave from her post and is the P.I. on a HEA Innovation and Transformation Project. Her interests include, mental health, crises response, student development, peer support, service development, management & leadership.

NOTES

Manager Approval:  It is the responsibility of each individual to obtain Line Manager approval prior to confirming your attendance at this training.

Accessibility:   In accordance with the University Equal Opportunity Policy, the Staff Development Unit aims to provide accessible facilities for all staff.  Please let us know if you have any specific needs so we can be as accommodating as possible.

Data Protection

Data Protection legislation, specifically the EU General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Acts 1988-2018, safeguards the privacy rights of individuals in relation to the processing of personal data. The data collected in this instance will be processed for the stated purposes only and deleted when no longer required. For further information on data protection compliance at Trinity College please see https://www.tcd.ie/info_compliance/data-protection/.