Empathy isn’t a personality trait. According to Liesel Mertes, Founder of Handle with Care Consulting, it’s an essential workplace skill we need to hone. And at the same time, people who go through disruptions and hard times have to eventually return to the office and add value to the organization. There’s a balance to having empathetic conversations and being honest about the nature of the employer/employee relationship In this episode, Liesel shares practical ways to strengthen your empathy muscle as a manager, HR leader, and friend. She explains what is and isn't effective at helping someone through hardship and offers tangible tools to care for people well. Resources from this episode: Balancing High Care and High Performance Panel Discussion Empathy Starters One-Page Guide For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. Or tune in on our website. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.*