Empathy plays a crucial role in my personal and professional life. Understanding others' emotions is so important for maintaining healthy friendships, work relationships and partnerships. To be able to understand other perspectives and view points allows me to connect with others on a deeper level and put myself in their shoes. Prioritizing compassion and empathy also keeps me connected to my values and reminds me to not get self-absorbed with my own worries or problems.
As referenced by Mathieu Turpault's blog post, empathy is hugely important for the human-centered design approach. In order to make products or software that meets the needs of its users, you have to research what's important to them and where their challenges lie. Empathy—and a diverse group of designers—is important for spotting biases in products and software so you create a product that is inclusive and serves all of your users.
When working on a team, it's so important to be considerate of others' feelings, so having empathy is essential. Nobody wants to work on a team with somebody who is selfish because this inevitably leads to disproportionate work loads and lack of consideration for others' time, among other things. Working on a team requires you to put the needs of the group ahead of your own individual needs at times, so it requires give and take. This means open communication matched with empathy is key.
Working at a PR agency, I have a fluctuating amount of clients from quarter to quarter. There have been times where I'm in over my head and need help from my colleagues who may have a lighter load at that time. Knowing how overwhelming those situations can feel when you are being pulled in a million directions, I try to help any colleague who reaches out for help even when I'm busy myself. Usually I can shuffle things around and offer assistance which is always very appreciated and helps the overall team.
When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
Sometimes at work, I find it difficult to be empathetic towards others that I don't feel reciprocate the empathy. I try not to let this affect how I respond to them, but it can definitely be frustrating to go out of your way to help someone who you know will never have your back when you need it. Usually communicaton can solve these issues but sometimes realizing your own empathy shouldn't be conditional is key. I have to remind myself that even if a particular person may not be grateful of my compassion, showing empathy and being a team player doesn't go unnoticed at work or to your team as a whole.