Ep#128: Tune into empathy for public sector work with Dr Claire Yorke
On the first episode of Work with Purpose of the year, Dr Claire Yorke lifts the lid on empathy and why it matters for policy and programs.
Critics might say that empathy is a ‘soft skill’, yet it is absolutely critical to understanding people’s experiences and circumstances – and how they feel about them. It is also a key tool for better policy, programs, strategies, and leadership.
Dr Claire Yorke, senior lecturer at the Centre for Future Defence and National Security at Deakin University and host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, explore why being empathetic from the start will lead to a more trusting relationship with your audience, and how it can help you identify blind spots and avoid unwelcome surprises.
They also dive into how populist leaders are using empathy to their advantage, and why public sector leaders should actively tune into societal moods to create better outcomes for Australia’s communities.
Key Tips:
- Use empathy to identify blind spots in your strategy early on
- Step out of your silo – work with your audience, for your audience
- Don’t assume that everyone speaks the same language as you.
Guest:
Dr Claire Yorke
Dr Claire Yorke is a British academic and author who joined the Centre for Future Defence and National Security at Deakin University as a Senior Lecturer in 2023. Her work is interdisciplinary, and her current research explores the role of empathy and emotions in international affairs, politics, leadership, and society. She is writing two books on these themes. The first book examines how empathy and emotions are critical to effective political leadership (Yale University Press), and the second builds on her doctoral thesis examining the integral role of empathy to diplomacy, combining theory and practice and featuring interviews with international diplomats. In addition, working with Professor Jack Spence and Dr Alastair Masser, she has co-edited two volumes on diplomacy, which were published in April 2021 (IB Tauris and Bloomsbury). She has designed and taught undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional courses on empathy and emotions, as well as international relations, diplomacy, statecraft, politics, and strategy.