Answer: Empathy has enabled me to consider an additional element when making decisions. By allowing myself to understand where someone is coming from emotionally, I feel I can better decide my plan of action. There was one particular situation that comes to mind where a friend was upset about something that happened at work. I had to reconsider my initial reaction, to understand the emotional toll different courses of action may leave.
Answer: For software development, I feel empathy is particularly important when developing UI/UX. When using software to help provide an experience/service, it's important to consider how it makes the user feel. One must put themselves into the hypothetical shoes of the user to understand how the software experience feels as a whole. Does the user feel overwhelmed or confused, or do they feel relief because the software makes sense and works the way they expect.
Answer: Empathy is certainly an important element when working with a team for any reason. It's important to understand that people have different perspectives which can alter the way they interact with others. I find I can better contribute to a team when I step back to consider multiple ways to respond to a question or problem rather than voicing my first thought or reaction. It is by using empathy, that I can make more calculated decisions that potentially benefit a team.
4. Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
Answer: When I was working as a general manager of a restaurant one of my employees lost his older brother to suicide. After returning to work from taking a week off, I noticed a change in his behavior. He would continuously make mistakes while serving tables. My first reaction was to discipline him by taking away some of his shifts, but then after exercising empathy I realized a better route to take was to have an open discussion with him (and a few other staff members per his request) about how he's been feeling lately. This helped get rid of the "elephant in the room" where the employees didn't know how to treat/what to say to this individual to comfort him. We also had a great conversation about tricks servers can use to ensure they don't forget orders and how to improve their serving skills.
5. When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
Answer: I have found sometimes my gut reaction to things is a "business mindset." Meaning I think of the most professional approach, which isn't always the best or most effective way to proceed. I have found I can improve upon this by stopping to consider alternative reactions. When problem solving, one can gain an advantage by thinking about multiple ways to tackle said problem. Not just considering one's initial reaction, but thinking about how someone who didn't grow up the same way might think. Or in other words, there's more than one way to skin a cat, ha!