Managers Are Trapped in a Performance-Compassion Dilemma

Managers need to show compassion after two years of turmoil. Executives expect their managers and teams to deliver. Middle managers feel the most tension. How can they deal with these pressures? Two sets of actions should be the focus. Help equip both senior executives and employees to shoulder more of the burden in delivering compassion so that it doesn't fall. The pressure of performance demands can be lowered by working with both executives and employees.

Middle managers are often the ones feeling that tension most acutely, based on the reaction to our earlier article on the competing demands for both compassion and results leaders are facing. They are torn between performance demands and calls for compassion.