Moving on from my film series on abusive behaviour, I’m going to be looking at what you should know about Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). The word Empath comes to mind too and this is another increasingly more common word for such a type of person.
Some people may describe this type of person as someone who is rather emotional, or delicate even, which may draw negative feelings for some employers but there is so much more to gleam from this person and that’s what I want to talk to you about today.
I’m going to be providing you with an overall insight into what It’s like to be a HSP, you might recognise yourself or somebody who works or even lives with you. It will be a way for Leaders to see HSPs in a different and potentially more positive light.
If you are somebody who has ever said in the past that you wouldn’t employ an HSP, then think again, because these are people who are extremely important in your team.
Here are some key words that I’ve used to simply describe an HSP.
These words are emotional, tuned in, susceptible, sensible, delicate, careful and easy.
Emotional: Of course this means that you have somebody who can not only exhibit emotion, but they can be marked by it and appeal to it, as well as arouse emotion. Imagine if you had a team of people where none of them were able to show sadness or fear at anybody’s loss, where all of them were unaffected by poor results or feedback and where they were all unsupportive to anybody who was struggling in the team.
Tuned in: A HSP will be very sharp in using eyes and ears to sense the true picture and will quickly pick up what others don’t. They will rapidly tap into good or bad energy, coming from anybody and sense if things are going well, or not so well. They will notice who is engaged or distracted and be able to encourage as well as demonstrate positive energy in a room. They will distinguish between lies and truth.
Susceptible: In the positive sense of the word an HSP is capable of undergoing something that requires time, effort and a lot of patience, they will really stick at something.
Sensible: An HSP will be reflective and will more often than not use this attribute to encourage as well as exhibit and act with very good judgement. They are willing to go against the trends that others would normally follow. They often have the ability to predict how things will turn out.
Delicate: An HSP or Empath may have a finicky distaste for something offensive or improper; a Leader could use this to his advantage. If for example there were some bullying or abusive behaviour, they would be quick to notice.
Careful: An HSP is someone who is cautious and thorough, and who would take on responsibility in a way which is protective of the outcome or the end results.
Easy: Having an HSP in the team would cause little hardship or distress, they have an ability to handle being alone, are usually incredibly creative, they are generally easy going and straightforward to manage, … once you’ve got to know them.
Who do you know who might be a highly sensitive person or an Empath and is perhaps already in your team or in your vicinity and who’s potential has not been explored or is perhaps not being fully understood?