Real-Life Tips for Practicing Empathy at Work

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It’s no secret that practicing empathy is vital to success at work. Countless researchers and authors have shared the importance of stepping into someone else’s shoes.?

But what does that actually look like at work?

Developing empathy requires daily practice.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this?you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are three real-life tips to practice empathy at work:

1. Listen. It’s nearly impossible to put yourself in someone else’s shoes if you’re making a rushed decision. Slow down and take a step back to soak in the information and what people are sharing. An immediate response will likely be your own reaction and not consider other people’s perspectives. Stop, take a moment to listen and digest the information, and then decide.
2. Be aware of your emotions. Practicing empathy requires you to be in a neutral emotional state or the same state as the person you’re talking to. If you are too emotional or don’t match their emotions, you won’t be empathetic. Be aware of your emotions to ensure you are in a mental space to practice empathy. If you are too angry, excited, sad, or emotional to be neutral or match their emotions, try to get to a neutral space. Disconnect, meditate, or go through the same situation the other person went through to get on the same emotional level as them.
3. Take the opposite perspective. It can be challenging to see things from another person’s perspective when you don’t agree with them, but taking the opposite perspective is incredibly effective in developing empathy and building connections. Ask yourself why someone would act a certain way, especially if they were rude or inconsiderate to you. Don’t assume things about people, but instead take the opposite perspective to yours to get to the root of a person’s actions.

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Practicing empathy and seeing things from another person’s point of view is crucial in all areas of life and business. When you work daily to develop empathy, you can build stronger connections, work through conflict easier, and be open to new ideas and points of view.

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This episode is sponsored by?Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types –?including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization.?

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at?www.perceptyx.com.