Empathy at work is not a break from accountability.
Leaders often treat empathy and business results as competing priorities, as if caring for people means lowering standards. In reality, the support employees receive during hard moments can influence whether they stay, contribute, and trust they place in their managers. So, how can organizations build more empathetic workplaces without losing sight of performance?
In this episode of Straight to Voicemail,
Rachel Elsts Downey hears from
Liesel Mertes, Founder and Workplace Empathy Consultant at
Handle with Care Consulting, about why empathy belongs at the center of modern leadership. Liesel shares what the data shows about empathy at work, why managers and teammates play such a critical role in the employee experience, and how simple practices can make support more consistent across an organization.
You’ll learn:
- Why empathy and accountability are not opposites
- How empathy impacts retention and performance
- What practical empathy looks like at work
Jump into the conversation:(
00:00) The Question Leaders Keep Asking
(
00:32) Why Empathy Belongs in the Business Conversation
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01:30) The Moments That Decide Whether Employees Stay
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02:14) Empathy as a Human Advantage in an AI-Driven Workplace
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02:43) Policies That Show Whether Care Is Real
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03:24) The Manager and Teammate Gap
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04:08) Start With Something, Not Silence
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04:38) Build Follow-Up Into Your Calendar
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05:00) The Stoplight Check-In for Stronger Team Awareness
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06:08) The Empathy Avatars and Additional Resources
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07:24) Continuing the Conversation
Straight to Voicemail is for CMOs, CEOs, and Heads of Marketing in B2B tech who want insights from the people who’ve been there. Each episode centers on one big question answered like a voicemail you’ll want to play again.
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