10 simple ways to expand your empathy skills
Empathy is an indispensable leadership skill. Empathetic leaders know how to step into someone else's shoes and truly understand their situation, perspective and feelings.
Empathetic leaders also know there is a difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling concern for another and sharing in their feelings or struggle. Empathy is understanding a situation from another's perspective and being able to communicate that understanding back to them.
Strong empathy skills help leaders to:
Build relationships grounded in trust and understanding.
Develop an accurate understanding of people's views, expectations and desires.
Enhance their communication and influencing skills and be more effective at getting their point across.
Read others better so they can adjust their timing, style, approach or delivery.
Motivate and inspire those around them.
Better understand the impression and perception they create in those they interact with.
Whether you are an experienced or emerging leader, below are 10 ways to grow and develop your empathy skills and relationships with others:
1. Experience different things with different people, in different environments. Empathy skills grow and expand when you see life, work, issues, travel, or any situation with, and through, the eyes of others.
2. Spend time listening to, and understanding, your own feelings. Learn to distinguish between your thoughts and your feelings. What you think about an issue may be different to how to feel about it in your heart or gut.
3. Check-in regularly with others. Seek our different perspectives and compare them to your own. Pay attention to similarities and differences and explore the reasons behind them.
4. "Park" your own viewpoint and be open to hearing things from a new perspective. Learn how to overcome your fear of hearing something unwelcome or unknown and push through your anxiety about asking a tough question.
5. Listen and observe with your whole body. Use your ears, eyes and gut to understand the message across all communication modes. Pay attention to words, tone and body language to understand the full message.
6. Let a conversation flow without directing it or steering it to a conclusion or pre-determined outcome. Views and feelings (yours and others) can evolve and change as topics are explored.
7. Seek out feedback. Be curious and ask open ended questions. Be willing to increase your understanding by delving deeper.
8. Make others feel safe and comfortable about sharing their honest thoughts. Invite others to share, and share, their opinions, experiences and views.
9. Find ways to turn down, or switch off, the noise of your own thoughts and feelings.
10. Examine your biases (we all have them!) and how they condition your view or response.
Strengthening your empathy skills will help you better understand others.
Practising empathy helps you better understand yourself.
Empathetic leaders are comfortable leading with their hearts and with their minds.
Is there one thing you can do to strengthen your empathy skills?
I coach leaders during times of personal growth and business change. Email me at aggie@2insight.com.au if you're interested in expanding your professional performance and personal success.