Dec 14

Dec 14 Let it go

Ve Dewey has been participating in and investigating our industry for some time. After a career of working with brands such as Adobe, Mattel and the BBC, she’s now focused on finding connections to solve problems that allow communities and organisations to successfully evolve.

Ve is a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), MBA candidate at Central Saint Martins and Co-Creator at Never Not Creative.

Words by Ve Dewey

Self-awareness is the other side of the coin that we need to uncover in improving empathy levels in our industry. So what do we need? What do we need to call out? And will we also need a good sense of humour?

Before I dive in, I want to caveat. My perspective on empathy is a personal opinion as a former in-house AD and an active member of the design community within the US. My opinion is purely based on what I've gleaned from various and diverse experiences.

With the mainstream adoption of Human Centered Design and Design Thinking within the last decade, the concept of Empathy in my opinion has lost the gravitas that it once possessed. Now, I find myself trying to avoid this word, or, even caveating it before I say it. When I hear ‘empathy’ my mind automatically- and sadly, equates it with a buzzword that leaders love to say so they can tick the box. So they can hopefully integrate it into their business model and appeal to their shareholders (if a corp) or to new members (organisations).

However, when thinking about the creative community and how imperative it is for leadership to truly be empathic, it boggles my mind that we time-and-time again see senior leaders in companies or within design organisations miss this obvious mark.

So, how can we change this? We are at a crossroads for our industry and we need more than ever to be supported by our leaders. 2020 brought us COVID which ironically has provided us an opportunity for change- for leaders to wholeheartedly be empathetic. Globally, we are going through systemic changes that are just starting. But we have a long way to go. We will need leadership to be even more empathic and even more connected with their communities and organisations. Leadership that might’ve worked pre-Covid, however, when the dust settles, simply won’t fly. With all of this in mind, if I were to tell myself what to do to be a more empathic leader it would be 3 points.

First, simply let go.

As Gordon McKenzie of Hallmark said “[…] Let go of the strategies that have worked for us in the past... Let go of our biases, the foundation of our illusions… “

Second, within 2020 we are being awakened. And even more so, interdependence will be vital for the survival of your company and organisation. You need to connect with your community around you.

“This isn’t a voluntary transition moment, I think it’s actually whether you’re viable in the next economy. This is not a moral crusade, it’s an operational model in a new society where interdependence is more valuable and more critical” (Indy Johar, Jericho Chambers)

Finally, this year has been a moment of reckoning for society as a whole. People want to support leadership who are socially aware, socially conscious but also empathetic to where they come from (direct reports, organisations’ communities) and to authentically want to support their success.

But also know that this is a two way street.