Developing OPTIONS for Empathy
Introduction
The Performex definition of empathy is “the ability to imagine oneself in another person’s mental state and subsequently gain insight into the other person’s feelings, desires, ideas, and behaviors” —in other words, to walk in their shoes. Doing so often creates a bond between the speaker and listener that will be reciprocated when it is time for you to make your position known.
Recognize that we cannot truly understand someone else’s emotions; at best we can only connect to our own core feelings to approximate another’s feelings.
Empathy is important because it builds connections between people. When a person responds to another with empathy, it is about validating what the other person is experiencing and not about judging whether the resulting behavior is justified.
Increase your ability to Empathize by watching the video and answering the questions below to create OPTIONS for improving this communication skill.