Empathy is key in customer and employee relationships
Focusing on this need for common sense, Lindstrom added that we shouldn’t forget empathy as a key element in this story. Common sense is seeing the world from multiple viewpoints, whilst empathy is having the capacity to understand what other people experience within their frame of reference and to put yourself in their position.
According to Lindstrom, empathy should no longer be perceived as a cheesy skill for softies, but as a key element in striving for a ‘common-sense world’. It should be a critical factor in creating a company, interacting with customers, and managing change.
Ultimately, it comes down to companies incorporating the concept of empathy in their corporate structure and in their connection with both employees and customers. By putting many people in an organization in contact with the customer, direct input can be captured and played upon, because “a response can’t make something better, but a connection can”.