Sensitivity as a decisive success factor: How you can benefit from it as a manager and leader

KPIs, a well-organised calendar and a dose of emotional intelligence are the most important leadership skills? This belief is long outdated and we have all come to realise that people only perform well if there is room for their humanity. As leaders and managers - whether with or without disciplinary responsibility - we pursue the goal of influencing others so that a greater common goal can be achieved. Recognising sensitivity as a strength in oneself and others is a decisive success factor in the demanding everyday life of a leader.

What is meant by sensitivity in the workplace?

Sensitivity is a valuable skill that enables you to act empathetically, reflectively and holistically. Managers who recognise their own sensitivity not only develop better self-awareness, but also create an environment in which employees feel heard and understood.

How sensitivity can enrich everyday working life:

We look at three specific examples of how sensitivity can help you as a manager to be more successful. Various tools will be presented on how we can deal with the respective challenges.

1.     Recognise resistance

Anyone with a mature sensitivity can perceive interpersonal moods and thus recognise which (potential) conflicts of interest are present and how they can be dealt with. It is not necessary to have every person present in a physical or virtual space for this, a visualisation in front of our inner eye is enough. We visualise the people involved and their resistances and treat each person with emotional care. Each person is given the opportunity to get rid of their negative emotions and replace them with positive ones until a harmonious mood prevails. Finally, the original topic is taken up again and the change in emotions is observed. What has been resolved on this subtle level can have an effect on the people involved in the real world.

Important note: When working on the subtle level, the greater benefit and a non-egoistic intention are very important. If we act with our ego, this can make the situation worse for us. Therefore, professional and neutral guidance is strongly recommended.

2.     Conflict between teams/departments

If, for example, the management team discusses a conflict between two departments, this can lead to recriminations and emotional discussions. Depending on the alliances and context, other managers will also comment on this and the problem can lead to a loss of face for one or other person. Not a good basis for a solution. Those with a mature sensibility will recognise the dynamics from a meta perspective and depersonalise the conversation. As a result, those affected are less emotional and can think clearly because they no longer feel at risk.

3.     Probationary period termination

Another example are difficult employee conversations, let's take a probationary period termination. As a manager, we may have prepared a script on how to introduce and communicate the content of the dismissal. However, there is always the question of how the employee will turn the conversation around, so we are very careful and try to pay attention to the signals from our counterpart. But do we know how we will deal with any panic or emotional reactions from the employee? How do we regulate ourselves, stay calm and at the same time support the person concerned in dealing with the situation? Here it helps to know how we can calm our nervous system as quickly as possible and come into co-regulation for our counterpart in order to support them in processing this message.

Sensitivity - a long-term success factor:

Sensitivity is a skill that can be developed and strengthened. As a sensitivity coach, I support people in developing this valuable skill both in themselves and in others in order to be able to act holistically. Various tools are used to work on the issues in depth. The coachee decides which tools resonate with their own body and mindset.

If you would like to develop this ability in yourself, please get in touch with me.

Sensitivity helps conscious managers to improve the quality of their relationships