- What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?
Empathy is extremely important to me. When I was a high school teacher, it was crucial to understand where my students were coming from. It's necessary to think that all other people have positive intent. Even if someone hurts you, you can look at the situation and gently question why they might have acted the way they did. Most times, it's not malicious. If people think about how others are feeling, the world would be a much better place.
- How does empathy help you build better software?
Empathy helps build better software you have to think about other people than yourself. If you're thinking with a self-centered mindset, then you will not be able to get pass your own hurdles. When working on a team, other people will respond to you much better if you have empathy. Those around you will be happier and will be able to work harder.
- Why is empathy important for working on a team?
Empathy is important for teamwork because it allows people to spiral into negative emotions. If someone on a team is feeling bad, their work is definitely going to suffer. If people use the mindset of empathy, then there will be fewer distractions for the team. WHen people are emotional, work will suffer.
- Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
When I was working on my senior design project for chemical engineering, we spend about 40 hours with our teams per week. Sometimes there were quarrels when working for such long periods of time. I would always approach the situation with love and assume that everyone isn't being malicious. Once a team member walked out because they were mad. I was able to go talk to him and get him to come back inside by talking and listening.
- When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
It is difficult to be empathetic when you are in a competition. In professional settings that are high stress, it's difficult to look to empathy when you want a promotion over another person. I need to focus on myself and have a growth mindset. In the future I hopefully will be able to focus on improving myself, rather than make things a competition.