Stephen Bruce – Page 2 – Value Management

Empathy: the Missing Piece of the Collaboration Puzzle

Commercial relationships are struggling, and nowhere is this more true than in collaborative relationships. Such relationships are where Complexity – from both inside and outside the relationship – is highest, and where the fatal flaws in how we typically operate are most clearly (and devastatingly) exposed. Empathy is the missing piece of the puzzle – empathy around the Things That Matter. Why is this so crucial? Why is it missing? And what can we do about it in practice?

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Misalignment on Things That Matter: Proving the Point

The Things That Matter aren’t clear or aligned in our relationships. This missing empathy is what is inhibiting understanding, preventing the management of differences, and hampering authentic collaboration. All of this – and more – was demonstrated through a recent workshop exercise we ran.

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Things That Matter: Operationalizing Empathy: Part 4: Harnessing Empathy

How do you harness empathy between organizations? By deploying Value Codes at scale to establish the current state, set targets, and iterate to demonstrate ROI. And we’ll also see proof that this works…!

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Relationships: The Will May Be There… But The Way Isn’t

In our latest webinar on the Things That Matter, polls demonstrated that the will to understand partners may be there, but the way isn’t. Well-intended personal contact tries and fails to plug that gap, with negative and challenging experiences continuing to dominate relationships. This isn’t sustainable.

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Things That Matter: Operationalizing Empathy: Part 3: Encapsulating Empathy

How do you go encapsulate empathy between organizations? By capturing the Things That Matter and then re-expressing them as Value Codes – an absolutely pivotal process.

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Things That Matter: Operationalizing Empathy: Part 2: Establishing Empathy

How do you go about achieving empathy between organizations? By following the Three Step Process, entirely built on and around empathy. And it starts with establishing empathy: surfacing what matters.

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Things That Matter: Operationalizing Empathy: Part 1: the Need

Empathy is the root of better relationships. We know this on a personal level. But empathy – actively understanding and responding to the other party’s perspective and priorities – is often almost entirely missing between organizations. Why does this matter?

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Things That Matter: the State of the (Dis-)Union

In a recent webinar on the Things That Matter, polls of attendees revealed low confidence, fragmented focus, and many issues on the ground. Whilst expected, it’s a stark reminder of the state of disunion when it comes to what matters. Something needs to be done.

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Why “Things That Matter” really do matter: Part 5: Why It Works

The Things That Matter process works, and it works because of its immediate, conceptual and practical power. It fits with science, harnesses complexity and empowers people on the ground.

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Why “Things That Matter” really do matter: Part 4: The Alternative

There is a way out of the mess we’re in with the Things That Matter. It’s a comprehensive but simple three step process that makes the subjective objective, and the intangible tangible – all through engagement, motivation and change.

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