Building Empathy

Abigail Noel • Feb 26, 2021

Empathy generates an interest in and appreciation for others, paving
the way to more productive working relationships.

The definition of empathy is the ability to identify and understand the wants, needs and viewpoints of those around you. Empathy is also about acting and behaving with compassion. Empathy goes a long way in business. It builds leadership, strengthens relationships, fosters work productivity and overall job satisfaction.

Empathy is not sympathy. Sympathy is pity, or feeling sorry for someone, empathy is taking time to understand how the situation is making them feel. Below are strategies for building empathy:
  • Challenge yourself. Take on experiences which push you outside your comfort zone. Learn a new skill, such as a musical instrument, hobby, or foreign language. Develop a new professional competency. Doing things like this will humble you, and humility is a key enabler of empathy. 
  • Get out of your usual environment. Travel, especially to new places and cultures. It gives you a better appreciation for others.
  • Get feedback. Ask for feedback about your relationship skills (e.g., listening) from family, friends, and colleagues—and then check in with them periodically to see how you’re doing.
  • Explore the heart not just the head. Read literature that explores personal relationships and emotions. This has been shown to improve the empathy of young doctors.
  • Ask better questions. Bring three or four thoughtful, even provocative questions to every conversation you have with clients or colleagues.
  • Walk in others’ shoes. Talk to others about about their issues and concerns and how they perceived experiences you both shared.
  • Examine your biases. We all have hidden (sometimes not-so-hidden) biases that interfere with our ability to listen and empathize. These are often centered around visible factors such as age, race, and gender. Don’t think you have any biases? Think again —we all do.
  • Cultivate your sense of curiosity. What can you learn from a very young colleague who is “inexperienced?” What can you learn from a client you view as “narrow”? Curious people ask lots of questions, leading them to develop a stronger understanding of the people around them.
Eight Ways to Improve Your Empathy | Andrew Sobel accessed 11/24/2020
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