Want to improve business performance? Be Empathetic and Prosper.

Which would you rather do business with or work for? A compassionate company that understands people’s needs. Or, one that instead “gives everyone the business.”

Helpful or harsh. Those are two extremes that workers can encounter on the job—and clients and their customers in the marketplace.

The simple truth is: How people feel—inside and outside a company—impacts business results. Put another way: “How come?” influences outcomes.

Experts agree that having a compassionate workforce contributes to success. Because empathetic workers treat clients and their customers in kind. That only makes sense. Good business sense.

Kim Houlne, chief executive of Working Solutions, makes this point in her Customer Think viewpoint: Empathy in the Workplace and Marketplace Pays Off.

Houlne believes compassion creates connectivity between the two. Fact is: People do business with, and work for, people they like and respect. Think of it as empanomics—feelings that underpin financials.