What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?
Empathy has played a prominent role in my development, not only empathy for people but also for things. I grew up trying to fit in but wanting to stand out; which for me came from a confusion over my purpose that empathy has taught me to grow out of. Empathizing despite how different circumstances might appear has helped me to understand abstraction. Empathy has taught me the value of acute perception, such as both hearing words and listening to tone of voice: both are to be valued. I find empathy as a necessary tool for design and collaboration.
How does empathy help you build better software?
When making anything, software included, empathy is key to understanding the relevance to the user. If the target audience feels my software is irrelevant, I have not been empathetic to how they would intuit to use it. This intuitive sense is what makes for good software. In having a mind for how a fresh set of eyes would approach a new program, I am reminded to ask the simple questions that would otherwise be lost from sight when building a program from the scratch. I see the result of these questions leading to such aspects as the 'home page' being accessible from every extension on a website.
Why is empathy important for working on a team?
I believe that without empathy, working on a team is a chore at best. There is a lack of understanding to what is going on with each other and by extension, the project as a whole. The project as a result falls short or fails, as ideas are not able to be fully understood (if at all) when they are shared. In contrast, when all members are focused on their team, the objective of collaborating becomes more inherent. This makes room for creative and logistical support of shared goals, as well as a genuine communion. This communion isn't limited by project goals, empathy in a team offers validation to each member as a unique human being.
Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
This last winter there was a break-in at the shop that I worked at; two other managers and myself were called to represent the shop while police investigated. The window was broken and after repairs one of my coworkers left. My remaining coworker at approxiamately 4:30 a.m. expressed that she planned to stay until 7 a.m. when another manager would arrive. She was scared that someone else might break in and that the owners would hold her accountable for not being there. I've felt that way before, so I told her I would stay if she did but that I thought we had both done a good job and deserved rest. She was grateful to hear praise for her work and in turn realized the police would be keeping a watch on the neighborhood.
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 has been hard for me to empathize in a work setting when I am in an exhausted state. If I have deprived myself of sleep, have not eaten (or not eaten well), or from adrenal exhaustion (like from too much coffee), my ability to empathize is dampened. The circumstances play out differently but the result is the same: I try to block out the world. My approach to improving on this is consistancy in self-care. This paired with a willingness and ambition to break old habits, as well as a mindfulness to the present moment has led me to see improvements already.