Here's how you can foster empathy and understanding in a career in Creative Strategy.

Fostering empathy in creative strategy involves understanding the perspectives and emotions of others to create more meaningful and impactful work. Know your audience: Take the time to research and understand the audience you are targeting with your creative work. Consider their needs, preferences, and challenges to create content that resonates with them. Put yourself in their shoes: Try to see things from the perspective of your audience or those you are creating for. This can help you empathize with their experiences and emotions, enabling you to tailor your messaging and creative approach accordingly.

Empathy in the workplace comes first and foremost from a place of peace. It is difficult to have empathy if you haven't mastered your own emotions...it's impossible to pour from an empty cup. Understanding and empathising with co-workers requires that you're able to manage your personal challenges effectively, especially if you're an authority figure in the business. Do not let your own problems get in the way of a solution to another's. This should be a maxim for all roles in the business.

I completely agree with being an active listener is the most important tool/skillset a designer should carry. Listening shouldn't always be hearing or auditory perception, but I believe being active listener is a healthy participating skill by observing other without having any biases or judging others' perceptions.

Active listening requires continuous practice, in different contexts. For example, it is easier to practice when we are not hungry, in a bad mood, tired, or needing to use the bathroom. If we are well, calm, and at peace, it is more likely that the quality of our listening will be better. I believe that what happens before and will happen afterward influences the quality of the conversation and listening. If there was any situation that altered the emotional condition or an upcoming event that generates anxiety and worry, this fact could influence. Therefore, to improve listening, it is ideal to try to momentarily isolate external factors, for example, by taking notes of thought so that they are not forgotten and also not keep in mind.

Questions fuel curiosity and can demonstrate interest in others, yet not judging the answers is as important as the answers themselves. Some research projects I followed lacked genuine interest in people's stories. There was an interest in merely collecting data and what they said, avoiding delving into details. Researchers need to minimize their judgment filters and ask questions with the intention of understanding the other person's reality, requesting their viewpoints, as well as understanding their opinions, feelings, and needs. One way to do this is to ask how they perceive a problem and how they think a neighbor or a family member perceives the same problem.

As a researcher and leader of innovation projects, I discovered the importance of on-site experiences within the reality of the people who will benefit from the projects I develop. If I want to genuinely hear how a person feels, it is important for me to be in the context where they experience the problem. For example, inside a house without a bathroom and electricity, as was one of the cases. People have their perspectives, needs, and emotions that can change depending on the context they are in. In a comfortable and creative room, they might act and see the world differently from the world they live in every day. Consider this.

Consider the example of a Mumbai-based marketing agency working on a nationwide campaign for a consumer product. To ensure their strategy resonated with audiences across India's diverse cultures and demographics, the creative team initiated a series of empathy-building workshops. These sessions involved listening to real-life stories from people in different regions, understanding their values, and exploring what drives their purchasing decisions. The agency also collaborated with local experts to gain deeper insights into regional nuances and language preferences. By incorporating this empathetic approach, the agency crafted a campaign that was sensitive to cultural differences and avoided stereotypes.

We are on a journey of continuous development, with no linear paths. Each person should see themselves as an individual to avoid comparisons with other people's development processes. Reflection is like looking in a mirror, but of thoughts, emotions, feelings, and soul, meaning it does not necessarily involve images and tangible things. I believe that the process of reflection is essential for well-being because we can reach more self-knowledge. As we get to know ourselves better, we also learn more about others, because we identify in ourselves what we see in others. Less comparison and more connection with authenticity, trust, and respect.

There are some ready-made frameworks for empathy mapping that can help with the aspects to be collected about the user's reality. However, the tool should be used more as a visual aid and for organizing information for workgroups rather than the main guide for empathy. Without research approaches and the collection of hypotheses and data, the reliability of the information on the map is critical. There may be distortions from pursuing a filled-out map rather than reliable information for decision-making in the project. Therefore, when using the map, make sure to conduct interviews and observe the behavior of the central people in the project.

For instance, if a Creative Strategist is working on a campaign aimed at promoting mental health awareness among teenagers, they could engage in activities such as conducting focus groups, shadowing teenagers in their daily lives, or even participating in online forums where teenagers discuss their struggles and triumphs. By actively listening and empathizing with their audience, the Creative Strategist can gain valuable insights that inform the creative direction of the campaign, ultimately leading to more authentic and resonant messaging that fosters understanding and empathy among the target audience.

A way to foster empathy and understanding in a career in creative strategy is through Collaborative Workshops and Brainstorming Sessions: Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and open dialogue within your team. Host workshops and brainstorming sessions where team members from diverse backgrounds can share their experiences and viewpoints. Encourage active listening and mutual respect to foster empathy and understanding among team members. By embracing different perspectives, you can generate more innovative and inclusive creative strategies that address the needs of a wider audience.