Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Awakening Compassion at Work summary
Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton
The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations
Listen to the first key idea
Key idea 1 of 8
4.3 (25 ratings)
23 mins
8 key ideas
Audio & text
What is Awakening Compassion at Work about?
Awakening Compassion at Work (2017) considers the role of compassion in the workplace. It demonstrates the methods individuals and organizations can use to develop a culture of empathy and compassion, and shows how individuals and companies alike can benefit from such an approach.
About the Author
Monica C. Worline is a research scientist at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. She specializes in the psychology of compassion and altruism. She is also the CEO of EnlivenWork, a company that coaches businesses in the development of compassionate leadership.
Jane E. Dutton is a University Professor of Business Administration and Psychology at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. She is a cofounder of the Ross School’s Center for Positive Organizations.
Table of Contents
Key idea 1 of 8
Work can be tough to endure, but companies needn’t make their employees suffer.
If you’re one of the many people who leave home to go to work each day, you know that, more often than not, putting up with nonsense and stress is just part of the job. Suffering through stress is such a common issue at work, it’s easy to forget that it’s a real problem.
It’s sad, but work can cause people to suffer unnecessarily.
Patty offers just such an example. The authors met her while they were conducting research on the role of compassion in the workplace.
Patty was an executive assistant who worked for several managers within a company. She loved her work and was particularly good at developing strong connections with her managers. She simply understood them and knew how to anticipate their needs.
Then, the company decided to restructure, and a series of key tasks were randomly distributed among the company’s various executive assistants. Patty got the message about the change late on a Friday evening, and on Monday morning she had already been relocated to a remote building.
Patty quickly found herself isolated and dispirited. To top it off, her prime skill of relationship building with the managers couldn’t be exercised anymore.
This just goes to show that some management styles will cause unnecessary suffering when the impact on the employees isn’t taken into consideration.
But some companies can and do minimize employees’ suffering – the answer lies in compassionate leadership.
During their research, the authors met a company leader called Andy. One day, during a meeting, he’d noticed that one of his best employees, Xian, was looking particularly despondent. So he asked Xian what was up.
Xian explained that his sister had died in an accident in China. But even though he was grieving, Xian had decided to still come to work.
In his position as a leader, Andy had to decide how to respect Xian’s personal life within a professional setting. He opted for compassion. Xian was told he could take whatever time off he needed and would be encouraged to speak with Andy any time he felt it was necessary. Andy even invited Xian to spend time at his home and meet his family.
This compassionate approach worked, and Xian was able to manage his grief successfully.
Want to see all full key ideas from Awakening Compassion at Work?
Key ideas in Awakening Compassion at Work
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Who should read Awakening Compassion at Work
- Managers and leaders
- Business psychologists
- Overworked employees looking for a new company
Categories with Awakening Compassion at Work
Books like Awakening Compassion at Work
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers