New Book from Rove's Greer to Focus on 'Empathy in Business'

OAKDALE, Minn. — Whether it’s finding innovative ways to lead and help others succeed, or personal pursuits like long-distance runs, Rove Pest Control COO Rob Greer is always up for a challenge.

His most recent proving ground is publishing. Greer will be sharing personal and professional lessons  in “Empathy and Understanding in Business,” the soon-to-be-published book he is co-authoring with renowned FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, CEO of the Black Swan Group and author of the national best-seller “Never Split The Difference”.

“I've been using ‘Never Split The Difference’ as a platform for helping teach basic skills to our customer service reps and technicians, and especially going into scenarios where you're dealing with 10 different cultures at 10 different stops and you've got to explain a principle that means something different to each one of them,” Greer said.

Voss also gathers entrepreneurs for regular meetings and at one of these events he proposed putting together a book on “empathy in business.” Greer thought this would be a great opportunity to share the empathetic perspective of the pest control industry – to explain the role of pest management professionals and how they connect with neighbors, pets, the environment and more. Following a series of background checks, interviews and written submissions, Greer was chosen to co-author “Empathy and Understanding in Business.”

In the book, Greer shares lessons he’s learned while managing others. For example, Greer recalled a sales rep who was struggling to find her way and was frustrating her superiors because she only saw “her side of things” despite her claims that she saw herself “as a helper.” Greer saw potential in this sales rep and walked her through the process of how her as a “helper” fit into the rest of the team. “She did a complete 180 from there – from being on the chopping block to being one our top performers. So the book has examples on identifying and aligning employee values with those of the organization.”

In addition, Greer has examples from his personal life that he weaves into lessons on how to turn “ugly situations into moments of connections.”