KEY TAKEAWAYS
[01:13] Empathy is indispensable for business leaders to practice to help customers and employees feel safe.
[02:03] A strong focus on caring and empathy has long been a deep-rooted value at CVS Health.
[04:00] How integral is empathy now to corporate mindsets and practices, especially for leaders?
[04:46] Companies that are succeeding now have a deep understanding of both their employees and consumers.
[05:43] Norman shares how empathy has helped CVS Health respond to the Covid-19 crisis.
[07:00] How CVS Health listens to the voices of customers and employees to understand and address their needs.
[08:13] Considering the servant leader mindset and relevance in current circumstances.
[10:00] Key challenges CVS Health faced were being able to pivot quickly and preparing for the unknown.
[10:29] At the leadership level, what did CVS Health do differently?
[12:05] This crisis has brought out the humanness in people.
[13:18] Norman shares a more human approach as plans to return to the office are developed.
[14:06] How communication was the key to reassuring employees when CVS Health started Covid-19 testing.
[15:09] Across corporate environments, there is a heightened listening to, understanding, and responding to employees.
[16:00] How Norman is preparing for months of uncertainty and considering remote work options.
[17:24] Moving into a new world where we value the individual more than just a ‘resource’.
[18:30] Delivering empathy through a C.A.R.E.R. interaction model in stores increases customers’ adherence to their medication.
[19:21] CVS Health’s satisfaction scores are going way up because people are valuing empathy and kindness even more than ever in this stressful time.
[19:47] When CVS Health decided to track empathy internally, the reaction was ‘thank goodness’!
[20:30] An organization needs to deliver both operational follow-through as well as having empathic behaviors to enhance the customer experience.
[21:41] How empathy impacts the compensation of the management team of CVS Health.
[22:28] How does Norman define empathy?
[23:13] The role of empathy in cultivating a welcoming environment for a diverse population so people can reach their potential.
[24:08] We have a racism problem in America, as well as a mental health problem. People are not feeling enfranchised to bring all their skills and talents to work.
[25:26] How CVS Health supported their diverse workforce and achieved #24 on Diversity Inc’s top 50 companies for diversity for 2020.
[27:57] For leaders, Norman cautions that empathy is not just about listening, but also taking action.
[28:49] For any company, to enable everyone to bring their full potential, it starts with: what do we believe is the right vision for who we are and how we operate.
[29:37] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Ask your boss how they’re doing, not just the people who work for you. It’s a way to connect and hear what’s going on, and people need it.