Podcast: Compassion and Empathy with Dr. Ken Druck

Dr. Ken Druck has been a trusted advisor through the years, personally to Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman, and also to the leadership of BW during some of our tough times.

After the loss of his daughter, Ken decided to dedicate himself to helping others find their way through grief. He founded the Jenna Druck Center in his daughter’s honor and went on to be a source of hope to families affected by the tragedies of 9-11, Columbine, Katrina and Sandy Hook.

A few years ago, we invited Ken to Barry-Wehmiller corporate headquarters in St. Louis as part of our Leadership Speaker Series. Here’s an amazing quote that speaks to the heart of his message:

“Compassion is your pain in my heart. Compassion is also your joy in my heart. But it’s a willingness on all of our parts to stand in a moment of what the other person might be feeling, what they might be experiencing, what they might be going through.”

We at Barry-Wehmiller often talk about how listening is key to helping people feel valued, but that must be accompanied by empathy and compassion.

In his talk, Ken spoke not only about how he processed his own grief, but he also talked about how to be a good friend and encourage those who are experiencing grief. But, the things that Ken discusses in this podcast can not only be guidelines to be compassionate to those experiencing grief, they're good things to think about when approaching people in everyday life. Especially during stressful or tense times. Our friends, family, teammates and acquaintances. In our workplaces, our neighborhoods and our homes.

On this podcast, we’re featuring a portion of Ken’s talk in St. Louis as food for thought to examine how we can be more compassionate to others around us and create spaces of empathy to help others know that they matter.