Forewarning: I compiled (the majority of) my responses into one giant answer that, as a whole, I believe adequately addresses the questions. When I read what was being asked of for this assignment my mind flooded with answers of various experiences & instances that, to me, felt like I would of just been giving a general answer. So instead I decided on sharing a more personal story which is what I have written below.
What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you? Why is empathy important for working on a team? Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful. 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 was March 17th, 2016 & my boss has just called me “greasy & nappy”. Twice, he said this, exclaiming it in front of staff & students. For the sake of time, I’ll skip every little detail leading up and following this event. Though, for the record, just know that (1) my head was shaved and I had just showered (meaning that what he said was solely based on race, and even if i hadn't gotten a haircut and showered, what he said still would of been egregious), and (2) during all of this I invoked the utmost restraint to not say anything until the timing was appropriate.
That second part I thought to be fairly crucial. I understood that if I had expressed myself in this moment it may not of been conducive to the situation & likely would’ve been considered unprofessional. Yes, I am fully aware of the irony here, though just take it as another example of one of many cases of America's double standards. Furthermore, I also understood that I was part of a team of educators committed to effectively teaching students while creating positive memories for them. By reacting in that moment it could have escalated into something that may have likely taken that opportunity away from both staff & students.
At the end of the week on Friday I walked my boss to his office with a formal complaint in hand. We sat down & I explained to him the severity & impact of his words. He went on to sincerely apologize & explain that he was raised in an environment where words like that were said often & carelessly. Regardless, he admitted that what he had said was inappropriate & inexcusable. That he is not above the rest & needs to be, not only corrected but also, better educated on the matter. He came to the understanding that he needed to take personal responsibility for his actions rather than rely on being a product of his environment. After a few more heartfelt exchanges, we actually ended up hugging & grabbing drinks later (on him, of course).
Unfortunately, I have had a number of interactions in regards to racial hostility. Having grown up in a world where this is a reality I know that it is better to respond rather than react in these situations. This often requires digging deeper into the preconceived notions & perceptions of another in order to understand why they think what they think is true. Typically their mindset revolves around an upbringing, the media, or a lack of exposure. From here is where I am typically able to bridge the gap.
Although it is not my job to educate people on this subject matter, I realize that if everybody else had that same mentality then very little would be done. We live in such polarizing times whether it be in regards to race, class, politics, religion, sexuality, gender, etc. All of which play an integral part in forming one’s own identity. I believe that in order to truly connect with one another we must understand what makes us different.
"Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins." -- Barack Obama
How does empathy help you build better software?
I imagine empathy to be a vital tool in building better software. In one of my responses in the Career Development part of the capstone I had mentioned wanting to develop software that wasn’t just something that people would be interested in but also something that was more user-friendly.
I remember during my interview for the Turing program being told the history of airbags in cars & how the developers hadn’t considered the wide range of people who would be using them. As a result, this led the airbags to actually cause a number of deaths. In getting to know who exactly will be utilizing the software that we create, we are able to better equip it for their needs & others.