I generally tend to get along with everyone I meet, and I think being empathetic and having an open mind plays a big part in that. Taking the time to listen to others puts them at ease and allows them to open up and build trust. Practicing this has helped me become a better individual and it’s rewarding to know that people feel I truly understand them. It’s been beneficial to both my personal and professional relationships. This level of trust can only be achieved through empathy.
Without empathy, one can develop preconceived notions on what a user needs. It’s easy to look at the business or personal need and automatically assume you know exactly what to do to achieve the end goal. This way of thinking is limited and can result in missed opportunities for innovation. Practicing empathy allows you to see beyond your own point of view and ultimately understand the needs of your user base. You have to put yourself in their shoes in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
Having empathy in a team setting welcomes other’s perspectives and ideas. Team members who lack empathy could be perceived as being unwilling to listen and therefore seem unapproachable. This could potentially create division within a team and in turn, decrease productivity. People work best when they feel they are being heard. Being empathic provides opportunity for constructive feedback and creates a healthier work environment.
At my previous job, I was given the opportunity to mentor new hires. Our division was recently acquired, which resulted in lots of change. Being a tenured employee who knew my job well, the changes didn’t affect me as much as those beginning their career in the the Long Term Care Insurance field. Aside from my mentees not knowing the ins and outs of the business, they also struggled to keep up with processes that would change on a week-to-week basis. They would often express their fears and insecurities with me. Being empathetic to their feelings allowed me to provide better feedback and guidance, which made them feel more at ease. Slowly but surely, they began to build confidence in their abilities and what was required to succeed. They were appreciative of the assistance I provided, which I found personally rewarding.
When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
I find it most difficult to be empathetic in a professional setting when I myself am feeling overwhelmed. It can be extremely challenging to care about someone else’s problems while you’re experiencing your own. This is something I could work on by developing a better awareness of other’s feelings and emotions. Having problems of my own doesn’t mean I should dismiss what others are going through. I need to acknowledge that it’s not all about me and that their feelings and emotions are just as important. It may take some practice since people generally tend to think of themselves first, but I will definitely aim to improve in this area.