Gear_Up_Empathy

# What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?
  
  I was raised by women and as a male who didnt have a full time male roll modle in my life. Being raised by a gender who
  typically has stronger sense of "natural empathy i.e. mother love". Where men typically it is something learned over time.
  I learned a hightened sense of empathy early on that led me to have successful relationships in my life friend or romantic.
  I find it easier to come up with solutions because I can see where the shoe landed for the other person.  

# How does empathy help you build better software?
  
  Empahty can help me as a developer in many was. Being able to understand that it only takes one person to stop and say 
  "wait, this is not right" that an entire community can change and work to a common goal that works for more than you/ myself.
  Being able to sit down and look at he other persons perspective or clients perspective can allow you to open new forms of 
  communication and ideas for eachother. As far as conflict it is best to tackle the problem head on and together rather 
  than seeing eachother as enemies. to do the you have to practice empathy. 

# Why is empathy important for working on a team?
  
  Makes it easier to solve conflict. People start to work towards solutions rather thatn avoiding the problem. It creates an
  atmosphere that is good for learning and reaching out. 

# Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
 
  A few yeaes ago i owned a business and had a few employees. At the time one of them was going through alot at the home
  with wife, kids, bills etc. With him wrapped up in what was going on at home his focus was away from his job as a door 
  to door sales man. Showing empathy I took him aside and asked him waht was wrong his power went out due to debt and all 
  the food in his fridge had gone bad including the milk for his new born. Knowing that he had some money coming in. I gave
  him the money to turn on the power and go get food for the family. Not only did he pay that "front" back in full but that 
  day he mad two sales equaling $1,200 in his pocket. That was a win win win! 

# 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 have the hardest time showing empathy to people who continously effect the people the people around them in a harmful or
negitive way. Also I would say that it is hard to show empathy to the people who cower in the face of help. If help is 
offered multiple times and there are people there to help and that individual will not reach out.